Hemp--My New Favorite Food Source

My husband gets a lot of mileage out of this, but I have discovered a new source of protein and fiber in a gluten and dairy free format. Hemp!

Despite his incessant joking about the new products in our fridge and freezer, my ultra-hippie new fad is reaping many benefits for my poor diet restricted household.

1st--I have found the solution to one of my last posts where I complained about the difficulty of finding a nutritional supplement drink to replace all of the Boost we used to give to PB (before we knew that dairy was a problem too). There are two really tasty hemp protein mixes, chocolate flavored of course, that I now mix into Becca's almond milk. And I recommend you ONLY use almond milk for this. Water, rice milk, and other alternatives simply will not dissolve the powders half as well. Of course, if you are allergic to nuts then you could try coconut or soy milk, which might work but I did not have on hand to use in my experiments.

2nd--I have found a dairy-free gluten-free ice cream that satisfies the worst of my cravings. It is creamy, rich, and very chocolatey! Also a hemp-based product, it is now a must-have on every shopping trip.

Before discussing the brands I think I'm now required to state that I have received NO compensation, correspondence, or offers from the makers of these foods. If I were making money off this blog, I wouldn't be keeping my day job! And I don't even get free samples. Instead I paid good money for the privilege of testing and reviewing the products. Hopefully that covers all my bases.

For the protein powders, I recommend Nutiva Hempshake (tm) and Manitoba Harvest Certified Organic Hemp Protein Powder (tm). While there are several flavor varieties, I get the chocolate versions of both and then mix them for a smooth, mocha-type flavor. You have to stir this stuff really well, or get a mini blender and whiz the liquid and the powders together for a good 20 seconds. But the result is well worth the effort.

As far as the hemp ice cream--I am in love with Living Harvest's Tempt (tm) Ice Cream in Chocolate Fudge flavor. I am just as likely to tear through a pint of the stuff in one sitting as I ever was with Ben and Jerry's. But when it's all said and done, I at least know I consumed enough omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to get me through a week.

And NO there are no detectable levels of anything naughtier than chocolate in any of these products. Enough already! *this last bit is mainly for my dh's benefit*