The recent advancements in the popularity of hemp and CBD have led us to the health benefits of hemp hearts. Hemp hearts are nothing but the kernelled seeds (soft inner parts) of the hemp plant. The advancement has also led us into discovering the various ways where we can use hemp seeds into creating a healthy lifestyle. One such healthy way is incorporating hemp hearts into our daily diet.
A very popular and nutritionally dense go-to hemp snack is the Hemp granola. Loaded with the best nutrients, hemp granolas are a perfect appetizer for the health freaks. All it takes is a little work and time and even a non-cook can prepare hemp seed granola easily. Unless you are already into hemp food, I expect you might wonder what is hemp granola and what are hemp granola benefits.
This piece from CBD World Web is dedicated to answering your queries about hemp seed granola. Read through the article to know what is hemp granola and what potential health benefits it offers.
What is Hemp Granola?
Made using hemp hearts as the key ingredient, hemp granola is the morning meal. It consists of roasted oats, nuts, honey, puffed rice (optional), and other sweeteners. The granolas are prepared by baking the mix of oats and other ingredients until crisp and toasted. The golden-brown hemp granolas have loose cereal consistency and can be used just as the cereals.
Now you might expect hemp granolas to taste weedy and unpleasant and I get your point. For a food product that comes from the weed family, it makes sense if it tastes bad! But trust me, contrary to your expectations, hemp hearts taste pretty good and so do the hemp seed granolas. The nutty flavor of the seeds makes them all the more desirable. And that’s the reason why people from all over the world have been experimenting to add hemp seeds into their regular food recipes.
What Makes Hemp Seed Granola a Perfect Go-To Snack?
Did you know that hemp seeds are widely known as super-food?
The hemp seed granola is made using hemp hearts as the key ingredient besides the rolled oats, hence the name hemp granola. Hemp granola is thus, perfect food for health-conscious people.
Now the question is, what makes hemp hearts a super-food?
Well, the answer is, the high density of nutrients found in them. Hemp seeds are known to have a high concentration of protein in them. It is about 30% of the total amount which makes hemp seeds an ideal source of protein, especially for vegetarian people. It might come as a surprise but, hemp is also the only plant-based food to have all the essential amino acids that our body fails to produce naturally. A small amount (as little as an ounce) of hemp seeds aka, hemp hearts has
- 9 grams of protein
- 2 grams of fiber
- 13 grams of fat
- 160 calories
- 2 grams of carbs
If you talk about the second key ingredient of hemp seed granola, i.e., oats, you shall find that it is just as good as hemp hearts. Combining something as nutritious as hemp seeds and oatmeal shall give you the epitome of the healthiest go-to snack/food.
Hemp Granola Benefits
For quite some time, hemp has been rising to fame for the extensive list of health benefits associated with it. The healthiest part of the hemp plant is said to be its seeds. The seeds, otherwise known as hemp hearts, are like the little bundles of nutrition. They are often used in creating a balanced diet. To grab the best out of hemp, a big variety of hemp seed edibles can be found in the market. You can prepare hemp granola or create your different hemp seed recipes in your kitchen too. Read through to discover the hemp granola benefits.
- A perfect balance of incredible nutrients
- Source of plant-based protein
- Dense dietary fiber
- Source of vitamins and minerals
- Reduced risk of heart ailments
- Relief from stress, anxiety, and fatigue
- Relaxation
- Relief in several skin disorders
- Improved digestion
How to Make Hemp Seed Granola @ Home?
Preparing a batch of hemp granola is one of the easiest things you can do in your kitchen. Once prepared, the same batch can be used for about 2 weeks. It saves you a lot of time spent preparing a new healthy snack every day. Here’s the ultimate recipe to make hemp granola at home.
Also, Check – Hemp Pasta from Sfoglini: A Must-Try Artisan Thing!
Ingredients Needed
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups of gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup of hemp kernels (hemp seeds)
- 1 cup of roughly chopped almonds (you can also use nuts that you like)
- ½ cup of ground flax seeds (sunflower seeds will work equally well)
- 1 spoon of cinnamon powder
- And salt to taste
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup of peanut butter
- 1 cup of honey
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil (non-flavored butter)
- 1 spoon of powdered extract
- 1 spoon of granulated brown sugar
Procedure
- Once you have gathered all the ingredients mentioned afore, start with the procedure stated below:
- In a bowl big enough, hand mix all the dry ingredients stated above.
- Take a small bowl to prepare a mix of the wet ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients properly using a blender.
- P.S.: You can also use the stove to mix the wet ingredients. Heat the saucepot on a medium flame. Add the peanut butter and vegetable oil. Stir until the butter softens. Now add other wet ingredients and mix them properly.
- Pour the mix of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ones.
- Stir well or hand-mix the two until they combine properly.
- Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Take a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the mixture on the sheet evenly.
- Load the granola sheet into the preheated oven and bake the mixture for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Unload the granola when it is golden brown on the edges. Let it cool at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Store the leftover in a glass jar and put it away in the refrigerator.