Hemp Foods: The Better Source of Protein

Hemp Hearts vs Chicken

Hemp foods are a plant-based protein that packs a bigger punch than meat. To many people’s surprise, hemp hearts have more protein per ounce than chicken, require no cooking, and are naturally delicious, making them the easiest way to add protein to your everyday diet. Let us explain what we mean with one of our family favorites: Mac and Cheese.

Mac and cheese is a common dinner time favorite. It’s warm, it’s gooey, and a comfort food the whole family enjoys. While it’s a dish that is good for the soul, it lacks in the protein department on its own.

For most, protein translates to meat, and for a dish like this chicken is a go-to choice. Let’s compare using chicken to hemp hearts to pump up the protein:

Convenience & Preparation

While chicken is arguably easy to prepare compared to other meats, you’re still looking at a minimum of 30 minutes to prepare it for a dish. Chicken requires thawing, seasoning, baking or a stovetop method which usually adds about 30-45 minutes on top of making our mac and cheese. While making chicken isn’t too difficult, hemp hearts require no extra prep, and you won’t dry them out! Simply mix hemp hearts into your mac and cheese sauce or add it to the breadcrumbs on top. Voilà. Done.

Protein Value

You may be thinking to yourself, “of course they would claim that hemp hearts are a time saver, but that doesn’t mean it compares to chicken, meat is always a better protein source.” Well, allow us to do the math and break it down.

The average 5-ounce cooked chicken breast contains around 27 grams of protein. Which is a fair amount, considering that 5 ounces of chicken is roughly the size of the palm of your hand. Now, as we’ve shown before, 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds contain 10 grams of protein. Making the same 5 ounces (about 10 tablespoons) come out to 36.6g of protein – nearly 10 grams more. Seeds also will be more evenly distributed throughout the dish versus chunks of meat. This means there will be protein packed into every bite, plus all the other nutritional goodness hemp foods provide.

The Verdict: Hemp is a better source of protein.

Gram for gram, ounce for ounce, and dollar for dollar, hemp hearts are the better source of protein for you and your family. Not only do they give more of the nutrition that you’re looking for, but they add flavor to the dish as well, win-win! So, whether you are trying to trick the family into eating more protein or you’re looking for an alternative to meat for your diet, you need to give hemp products a try. Look for Humming Hemp at your local GNC, Safeway, or Albertsons.