7 Creative Ways To Use Hemp Oil In Food
For the past year or so, hemp has been rising in popularity. Have heard your friends praise hemp seed oil as a new and even healthier alternative to coconut oil? Or maybe on social media, you've seen the science-backed benefits of hemp oil - its ability to help manage stress, ease aching joint pain, support immune function, etc.? Has this got you thinking that there may be more to this plant (which is usually just associated as ‘that plant CBD oil comes from’)?
Turns out hemp has far more uses beyond its cannabinoid content.
Hemp oil is extracted from seeds of the hemp plant and is actually a superfood, that is frequently used for adding a nutty flavor to dishes of all kinds. If you want to boost the nutrition of your food, then this oil is exactly what you should be using.
What Is Hemp Seed Oil?
As mentioned before, hemp seed oil is a product derived from hemp plant seeds. The extraction occurs through cold-pressing, similar to the way that olives are cold-pressed to make olive oil.
The oil has a rich nutritional profile. Cold-pressed hemp seed oil, in particular, packs numerous potent health benefits. It is a rich source of essential vitamins A and E and minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and zinc.Hemp seed oil is praised by vegetarians and vegans because it is an actually vegan source of fatty acids. Typically, fatty acids can only be sourced from fish. When it comes to essential fatty acids, what makes hemp oil powerful is its unique balance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio.
Why Omegas Are Important
The very building blocks of the 100 billion cells in your brain are omega fatty acids, which is why omega-3 fatty acids increase the brain’s growth hormone and aid in brain health.
So, we can see why fatty acids are so essential to our health, but they can only be obtained through diet. Since hemp seed oil contains some of the most balanced omegas on earth, it’s got you covered!
Hemp goes beyond inner body health - did we mention that the essential fatty acids that hemp oil contains can help with many skin issues; including acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Despite coming from the hemp plant, this oil doesn’t contain THC. In actual fact, hemp plants in general only contain traces of the main psychoactive compound in cannabis (THC).
What Are the Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil?
Hemp seed oil's incredible nutritional wonders don’t just stop at essential fatty acids and skin.
Hemp is the only particular plant oil that is a complete source of protein (it contains all 9 essential amino acids that your body can't make but needs), fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants.
Researchers believe that the protein in hemp is easy to digest because it contains the proteins edestin and albumin, which your body can break down quickly. The use of hemp oil in food, therefore, helps with digestion.
Furthermore, hemp seed oil has a high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats, which have been linked to reductions in cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis. The small amount of saturated fatty acids and zero trans-fatty acids found in hemp oil also mean that its presence in food helps keep cholesterol levels in check.
Hemp seed oil fights cholesterol on another front because it's rich in linoleic acid. Studies have shown that eating a diet high in linoleic acid significantly reduces total cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol, aka low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
Lowering your cholesterol levels can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease.
7 Fun and Tasty Ways to Enjoy Eating and Drinking Hemp Seed Oil
Not only are there many benefits to using and consuming hemp oil but hemp seed oil is delicious. You can easily and simply add hemp seed oil to your favorite meals, desserts, and drinks without being a 5-star chef or spending a ridiculous amount of time in the kitchen.
Like olive oil, hemp oil does have a flavor, but it is not crazy overpowering. The flavor is like a light nutty, almost refreshingly earthy, taste that adds an interesting element to many recipes.
Hemp oil is rich in nutrients but it also has a low boiling point. You can't really "cook" with hemp seed oil, meaning you shouldn't actually heat it. When it's brought to a high temperature, not only does its taste change, but it smokes and depletes the nutrients.
Hemp seed oil is, therefore, best in cold and warm foods and drinks. However, a little bit of heat is okay, but only so it's at a lukewarm temperature. The typical smoking point of hemp oil is 332°F. If you combine hemp seed oil with other temperature-stable oils, you can heat it to a higher temperature.
Even if you don't heat up hemp oil, there are still so many other delicious ways to incorporate it into your diet.
Here are some of our favorite recommendations here at Wise Ape for adding hemp oil into your foods and drinks that are deliciousness guaranteed:
1. Hemp Oil in Salad Dressing
The slight nuttiness in hemp seed oil goes perfectly on a salad, and using it in salad dressings is a fantastic way to avoid exposing it to any heat, so you'll be getting the nutrients in their purest forms possible.
You can literally use hemp oil on a salad like you would olive oil, drizzle it over a crunchy bed of salad leaves, or you can whip together a quick, easy, and, tasty hemp oil salad dressing recipe.
Here are our two favorite hemp oil salad dressings recipes for you to give a try:
Garlic-ey Hemp Oil Salad Dressing:
- ¼ cup hemp oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- a few sprigs of fresh dill
- 4 cloves garlic - chopped/minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Asian Hemp Oil Salad Dressing:
- 1/3 cup hemp seed oil
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh grated peeled ginger
- salt and pepper, to taste.
For both of these recipes, all you have to do is whisk all the ingredients together until fully incorporated and let it sit for an hour or so to allow the flavors to meld. Shake well and drizzle onto a salad.
2. Hemp Oil In Buddha Bowls
Hemp seed oil adds lovely moisture and a rich nutty taste to a buddha bowl.
A buddha bowl is essentially a one-bowl meal, that includes rice, legumes, fresh or cooked vegetables, sauce, and a protein like chicken or tofu. They are usually served cold, but some versions are served with a warm base or a heated protein.
Buddha bowls are full of fiber, and nutrients, and drizzling hemp seed oil or making a creamy hemp seed oil sauce and drizzling that on top, will only add even more incredible vibrant nutrition to this powerful meal.
You can even add another powerful health boost by also topping your buddha bowl with hemp seeds. High-quality raw food protein hemp is full of live enzymes allowing hemp’s digestible proteins to be easily assimilated into the body.
Tossing hemp seeds on top of your bowl is not only amazing for your body but also your taste buds. A couple of spoonfuls of hemp seeds add a little pop and pleasantly nutty taste, like a cross between a sunflower seed and a pine nut.
3. Hemp Oil In Smoothies
Yes... this one does sound a little untraditional - but trust me when I say this is going to be an amazingly nutritional addition to your smoothie!
Adding a bit of hemp seed oil into your daily smoothie is a fantastic way to add a hit of powerful essential nutrients to your day and trust us, your smoothie will still be just as delicious. Choosing a smoothie recipe that has a strong taste and texture (which most have) easily disguises the odor and flavor of unrefined hemp oil. Just 1-2 tablespoons of hemp oil in your smoothie and voila!
Our hemp oil banana and chocolate tea smoothie recipe works perfectly with hemp seed oil in a fun and flavorful way!
Hemp Oil Banana and Chocolate Tea Smoothie Recipe
- 1/2 cup brewed Wise Ape Chocolate Hustle, chilled
- 1 cup cold milk
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
- 2 ripe large bananas
- 2 tablespoons of hemp oil
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey, optional
- ice cubes, optional
Blend all the ingredients until smooth.
Not only does this chocolatey recipe taste oh-so-good even with hemp oil in it, but it also includes our amazing tea blend Chocolate Hustle. A powerful blend of roasted yerba mate tea with hints of chocolate and mint, combined with adaptogenic super-herbs to support your brain naturally. This unique elixir is designed to heighten your focus, energy, and clarity.
4. Hemp Oil In Cold Soup
Simply garnish your next cooled soup with a drizzle of hemp oil and even a sprinkle of hemp hearts for an awesome boost of protein and omega-3 boost.
5. Hemp Oil In Protein Shakes
Just like with smoothies, hemp oil makes for an amazing addition to your protein shake blend.
Hemp oil is an excellent way to add extra oomph to a protein shake because if you're drinking a protein shake, then most likely you want to focus specifically on muscle building or performance.
As we mentioned before, hemp oil is naturally rich in omega-3, including omega-3 stearidonic acid (aka SDA), which is an even more potent form of fatty acid. What does this have to do with working out?
Well, omega-3s have been shown to increase the muscle-building response to insulin, and amino acids, both of which are released in the body during exercise. It seems that having a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your muscle cell primes it for protein synthesis and that would mean that having an added omega-3 boost in your pre-workout drink would help give you even better workout results.
Another great reason to consume your hemp oil in your protein shake is that the combo of fruit and protein powder will easily disguise the flavor and odor of hemp oil.
6. Hemp Oil In Stir Fry
Make your stir-fry the regular way, with culinary oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, whatever veggies you choose, etc. When you combine the stir-fried veggies and any meats you cooked with your rice noodles and simply use hemp seed oil as the extra oil drizzled on top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds or even hemp seeds if you want to go hemp crazy.
7. Hemp Pesto
Get this... pesto, without olive oil. Yeah, you read that right. We know it's difficult to imagine a pesto being made without olive oil, but trust us when we say hemp oil pesto is our new favorite pesto and it might just be yours too.
Our Hemp Oil Pesto Recipe is an easy twist on a classic Italian basil pesto. The flavor is slightly sweet with a pronounced nuttiness, and of course, hemp oil's balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids make it nutritious. Oh, and did I mention it is nut-free?!
Hemp Oil Pesto Recipe
• One small bunch of parsley
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup parmesan, mature cheddar, or a large sprinkle of nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed hemp seed oil
• 2 to 5 tablespoons of fresh filtered water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place all your ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until a thick paste forms.
Things to Note Before You Use Hemp Oil in Food
Before you bounce into the kitchen to try out using this cool, exciting, and nutritious new food item in your food, let's make sure we go over the basics of how to best and most safely use hemp oil when preparing foods and drinks.
- We've already discussed how hemp oil has a low boiling point. But, just to go over it one more time. Hemp oil is best for cold and warm food items. The smoking point of hemp oil is usually around 332°F but you can cook up to 475°F but for no more than 30 minutes.
- Yes, shallow frying is the most common recommendation for cooking with hemp oil, but sautéing is the best way to get the most nutrition from hemp oil when cooking.
- When buying hemp oil, opt for cold-processed and unrefined. Cold-pressed hemp oil contains the optimum amount of nutrients and is the safest to use because it hasn't been subject to any refinement processes. Plus, it's vegetarian, vegan, and raw approved.
- The daily recommended amount of hemp seed oil you should consume is 1 to 2 tablespoons (4-28 ml).
So, we can now see that there is a good reason behind the rising popularity of hemp oil. It's clear to see that this oil has a fantastically high nutrient content, rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants, and we now understand the nutritional richness of hemp oil. Hemp oil can not only enhance the flavor, and taste of food, but also the nutritional content of your meal.
Bonus: Choosing the Right Hemp Oil for Your Recipes
When selecting a hemp oil for your culinary creations, it's essential to choose a high-quality product that's both delicious and nutritious. Look for cold-pressed, unrefined hemp oil with a rich, nutty flavor that complements a variety of dishes.
We recommend Nutiva Organic Cold-Pressed Hemp Oil because it's made from non-GMO, organically grown hemp seeds and produced through a chemical-free, cold-press extraction process. This method ensures that the hemp oil retains its natural nutrients, antioxidants, and beneficial properties.
In addition, Nutiva is a reputable brand known for its commitment to sustainability and high-quality standards. They source their hemp seeds from Canadian farmers who adhere to organic farming practices, ensuring a pure and eco-friendly product.
This hemp oil is rich in essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and has an ideal balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids to support your overall health. Incorporate this versatile hemp oil into your favorite recipes and enjoy the numerous health benefits it has to offer.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you now have some great ideas or recipes to help you start using this incredibly healthy ingredient, hemp seed oil in food and your daily diet.
If you're ready to start trying new healthy superfoods, then why not start with herbs?
Here at Wise Ape Tea, we make bold and fun flavored, wellness-inspired, adaptogenic, herbal tea blends. Click here to learn all about these amazing flavor teas with super amazing health benefits.
This informative article is written, by Sophia Mckenzie. Sophia is head content creator and writer, for several premium websites, where her expertise is in health, nutrition, and wellness. Her content is heavily focused on providing and sharing doable solutions to help people truly thrive, and live their happiest, healthiest, fulfilled life.
By the way, we're a part of the Amazon Associates Program, which means we might earn a small commission if you purchase the hemp oil through our link. It's like a virtual high-five for sharing awesome products with you! Rest assured, our recommendations are always based on the quality and value of the products, so you can trust you're getting the best. :)
