Hemp Protein Powder - A Nutritional Powerhouse
If you’re looking for the perfect protein powder for that after-workout smoothie, why not reach for a high-quality plant option that offers over 40 percent protein by weight, plenty of fiber, and countless other nutritional benefits? Hemp protein powder just may be the missing step in your healthy routine.
What is hemp protein powder?
While some popular protein powders are animal-based, hemp protein powder is all plant. Hemp is considered a complete protein, as it has all nine essential amino acids. This is something more commonly found in animal proteins, so if you are plant-based, choosing hemp protein is a good way to go.
Hemp protein is also generally less processed than other plant-based proteins, plus it contains more fiber. While some protein powders blend into the background, hemp has a nutty flavor that stands out and is great for baking, smoothies, or even to top cereal (you may have also topped cereal, smoothies, or yogurt with hemp hearts in the past).
Is hemp protein illegal?
The short answer? No.
As of the 2018 Farm Bill, restrictions on hemp have loosened significantly. While hemp used to be banned, and then was allowed to be grown for research purposes, it is now allowed to be cultivated and sold on a much wider scale. As long as it is being produced in a compliant manner, hemp-derived products can be sold, transported, or owned by anyone, and they can also be transferred across state lines.
By law, hemp cannot have more than 0.3% THC; anything above that is considered non-hemp cannabis and is illegal under federal law. States also need a plan to regulate and license hemp, or accept a program designed by the USDA. So, while hemp protein isn’t illegal, it is subject to fairly strict regulation.
What are the nutritional benefits of hemp protein?
Hemp protein is not only a great complete protein, it is also bursting with other nutrients.
Fiber
Hemp is very high in fiber - ¼ cup of hemp contains about 7-8 grams of fiber. To put that into context, it’s about as much as one serving of Raisin Bran, and 18-28% of your recommended daily intake (18% for men and 28% for women). Compared to other popular plant-based protein powders, hemp protein has a lot more fiber.
Because it has more fiber, hemp protein will help you stay fuller for longer and cut down on those empty calories. Plus, a diet rich in fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels and promote gut health.
Protein
Hemp seeds are considered a complete protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids. This is uncommon for a plant-based protein; in fact, a study found that hemp protein had a similar amino acid profile as egg whites or soy.
As humans, we need to get these nine amino acids from our diet. We can’t produce them with our bodies. If you have a plant-based diet, it can be hard to get all nine, so hemp protein is a great thing to incorporate into your routine.
Unsaturated Fats
Just like essential amino acids, the body can’t produce essential fatty acids. Hemp seeds are a bountiful source of essential fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, an omega-3.
Generally, people consume more omega-6s and not enough omega-3s. In Western diets, the ratio between omega-6s and omega-3s is 15:1. However, the ratio of fatty acids in hemp protein can help with this imbalance. Hemp seeds have a much healthier balance of 3:1.
A 2015 study found that when hemp seeds and hemp seed oil were added to a diet for hens, the level of omega-3s in their eggs increased, and they had a healthier ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s.
Vitamins and minerals
Hemp seeds contain a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, but have notable amounts of:
- Vitamin E
- Phosphorous
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Zinc
- B vitamins, including
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Thiamine
- Vitamin B-6
- Folate
How much hemp protein powder should I take every day?
How much hemp protein powder you take is going to depend completely on what the rest of your diet looks like, especially how much protein and fiber you normally consume. Our suggestion is to add two tablespoons of hemp protein to your meals like smoothies and cereal, and you can always increase if you feel like you need more fiber or protein. Depending on your body weight, you probably need between 46 and 56 grams of protein per day. Most hemp protein powders have about 15 grams of protein, so anywhere from ¼ to ⅓ of your daily protein needs.
What are the advantages to cold-pressed hemp protein powder from organic hemp fields?
Ulli’s and a few other brands of hemp protein powder are cold-pressed, but what does that mean? And why is that better?
Hemp protein powder is what is left over after you process hemp oil. Usually your super market oil is chemically extracted with hexane, grown in industrial agricultural fields where heavy metals and pesticides (roundup) are accumulated in the soil. Roundup stays 30 years or longer.
After the chemical extraction the oil gets bleached, refined, deodorized and filtered. This is why it is important to know your farmer’s soil and how the oil and protein is made.
Ulli’s Protein Powders that remain after she stamp-pressed the oil in smallest batches for maximum freshness has more fiber and nutrients versus the ones that come from chemically extracted oils and industrial agriculture.
It has a crunchy taste to it as Ulli does not sieve the hemp shells out. This is valuable fiber from a nutritional stand point.
How to Use Our Hemp Protein Powder
Hemp protein powder is more versatile than you might think. Here are a few ideas for ways you can use Ulli’s hemp protein powder to get you started.
Substitute flour
Depending on the recipe, you can substitute some or all of the flour with protein powder. If it’s your first time making the substitution start small - swap out 1 cup of flour for ⅓ cup of protein powder and see how it comes out! You can also swap out flour in a brownie recipe with equal parts hemp protein and cocoa powder.
With cereal
You can sprinkle some protein powder onto your grain-free cereal, or you can mix it into warm oatmeal with some of your favorite toppings. Granola would be a great fit!
In smoothies
Take your favorite smoothie recipe and add in a scoop or two of Ulli’s hemp protein powder. Our powder would be great with a frozen banana, almond milk, frozen strawberries, and a spoonful of peanut butter, for example. The sky’s the limit! Let your imagination and taste buds go wild.
Roll into energy bites
Looking to take your protein powder on the go? Energy bites are a great solution for when you’re feeling snacky, but don’t want to go off the rails. This recipe for raw energy hemp balls includes almond butter, sea salt, cocoa powder, coconut, and more!
What are some hemp protein powder brands?
While Ulli’s Oil Mill makes an organic, stone-milled hemp protein powder, there are several other options available.
Nutiva makes hemp food products that are cold-processed, meaning they are processed at a temperature under 104 degrees Fahrenheit. They use raw, live hemp seeds in their production.
Manitoba Harvest makes Canadian-grown hemp products. They also produce using cold-milled seeds, are organic-certified, and make their products using 100% wind energy.
Most hemp protein powder brands don’t flavor their products, but Lean Hemp is the exception. The brand has chocolate and peanut butter options in addition to their traditional offering.
Ulli’s hemp protein powder is made from organic hemp seeds that are grown in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. Seeds are sourced from local, sustainable farms. No additional heat is added to the process. The seeds are stone-milled using an artisanal production process, and the natural hemp powder that is produced contains more than 28% plant-based proteins and 40% fiber.
About Ulli’s Hemp Protein Powder
Ulli’s hemp protein powder is a high-quality plant-based protein that contains all 9 essential amino acids, plus all the healthy nutrients and antioxidants mentioned above. It’s gluten-free, vegan-friendly, organically grown. One unique aspect of Ulli’s Hemp Protein Powder is that it is upcycled from the same organic, local Upstate NY seeds used for our organic, cold-pressed hemp oil.
Ready to welcome a nutrient-packed, fiber-rich protein powerhouse into your daily diet? Pick up a bag of Ulli’s organic stone-milled hemp protein powder today!
Summary
- Hemp protein powder is a less-processed plant-based powder that contains all 9 essential amino acids, is fiber-rich, and loaded with vitamins and minerals.
- Hemp protein is not illegal, but regulation and licensing practices may vary slightly from state to state.
- One serving of hemp protein powder is enough to satisfy from ¼ to ⅓ of your daily protein intake needs.
- The powder left over from cold-pressing hemp oil has more fiber and nutrients than the powder left from more refined oils.
- While hemp powder has a nuttier, more distinct taste, it works well in smoothies, cereals, as a flour substitute, and more.