Believe it or not – although you should really trust us on this – but despite being related to the cannabis plant used to create marijuana, hemp seeds are, in fact, incredibly nutritious. Although being quite small, they do pack a huge punch as they contain well over 30% of essential fats like linolenic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, used to boost your immune system, and 25% of their total calories are high-quality protein, which is considerably more than similar products like chia seeds and flaxseeds.

Before you start getting worried, there’s little, to no chance at all, of hemp seeds affecting your mind in any way, as they contain trace amounts of THC (the chemical that actually causes the psychedelic reactions to marijuana) which is tiny when you consider that 0.3% of this chemical is the legal upper limit in CBD products.

With these potential nutritional benefits, some health experts are calling hemp seeds the new health product of the modern age. With so many reasons why you should be eating hemp seeds, there’s only one issue: how on earth are you meant to consume them? Well, here are three top-quality meal ideas that use hemp seeds to help you reap the benefits of this wonderful nut.

Smoothies

One of the simplest ways to get hemp seeds into your diet is to throw them into your smoothies and depending on the other fruit you blend it with, it may contribute to activating the ingredients and nutrients even more. Some good options to go for includes a strawberry coconut and lime variety, which has a refreshing tropical flair, which also allows you to add cashew nuts for additional protein. For the best smoothies, be sure to shop around for high CBD industrial hemp seeds, as these may provide a ton of other health benefits.

Lentil, Quinoa and Hemp Seed ‘Meatballs’

These vegan meatball alternatives are a great and tasty way to stuff your meals with nutrition and are best served with spaghetti marinara or in a sloppy sub or sandwich. These meatballs are perfectly spiced, with an inviting and moist texture, creating an overall delicious addition to any meal. Due to it using red lentils and quinoa, it makes the meal really easy to whip up, easily taking under an hour, making it a great option on a rushed weekday evening after work.

To make, simply combine all the ingredients – except the breadcrumbs – into a food processor and pulse until they’re combined. Then mold them into balls, cover with breadcrumbs and pan-fry on a medium heat. Delicious.

Hemp Seed Pesto

Adding in hemp seeds when making a homemade pesto is a great way for vegetarians and vegans to increase their vital protein intake easily. To do it, simply replace the hemp seeds with pine nuts as this adds over 3 additional grams of protein per quarter cup. This swap out does nothing to alter or ruin the taste of the pesto in any meaningful way, as hemp seeds have a nutty flavor anyway. This pesto can then be used with pasta, pizza, another other Italian inspired dishes, making it pretty versatile as well as extremely tasty. To make this pesto, all you need is basil leaves, parmesan, garlic, a little salt to taste, and of course, the ingredient of the hour, hemp seeds.