Bananas and Hemp: A Winning Combo

Bananas and Hemp: A Winning Combo

When you combine the clean energy of bananas with the plant-based power of hemp, you create balanced meals and superfood snacks that are energizing, satisfying, and good for your long-term health. Bananas and hemp compliment each other creating a pleasant taste together.

When it comes to grab-and-go snacks that fuels your body and satisfy your cravings, bananas are a top-tier choice. Just peal and eat. Naturally sweet, full of fiber, and packed with essential nutrients, bananas are more than just a smoothie staple—they’re a nutritional powerhouse. Bananas are a superfruit.

Let’s explore why bananas deserve a regular spot on your plate and snack list, and how pairing them with hemp seed foods can take your health game to the next level. I’ve included a few eating ideas and a couple recipes using bananas and hemp at the end of this article. Here’s why I’m a big fan of bananas.

Top Nutritional Benefits of Bananas

1. Potassium Powerhouse
   Bananas are famously high in potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure, support heart health, and maintain fluid balance in the body. Just one medium banana delivers about 10% of your daily potassium needs.
2. Natural Energy Boost
   With a balance of natural sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and dietary fiber, bananas provide sustained energy—perfect for pre-workout fuel or an afternoon pick-me-up.
3. Rich in Fiber
   Bananas contain soluble fiber, including pectin, which supports digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
4. Source of Vitamins and Antioxidants
   Bananas are a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, and manganese. They also provide a modest amount of antioxidants that help fight free radicals and reduce inflammation.
5. Gentle on the Gut
   Bananas are easy to digest and contain prebiotics—food for the good bacteria in your gut. They’re a good choice for easing upset stomachs.

More about Bananas

For those of you who are about low carb diets, you may squawk about the carbohydrates bananas have. It’s easy to forget that your body actually needs carbs to fuel your body, and unlike processed sweet treats, a banana’s naturally occurring sugars are accompanied by many vitamins and minerals. Plus, bananas are rich in fiber, which slows your digestion of sugar. It’s a Mama Nature thing – just like hemp seeds, she knows what she’s doing and has us covered when she created the banana.

Why Bananas and Hemp Are a Perfect Pair

When you add Hemp Seed Foods and a banana together, you now have a complete nutritional boost.  While bananas offer fast-digesting carbs, fiber, and vitamins, hemp seed foods bring in what bananas lack: complete protein and healthy fats. Here’s how they pair perfectly:

Banana and Hemp Hearts

• Hemp Hearts – Sprinkle them on a sliced banana or blend them into your smoothie. They’re rich in essential fatty acids, including omega-3s, magnesium, iron, and all 9 essential amino acids.
• Hemp Protein Powder – Combine with banana in a smoothie for a plant-based, post-workout protein shake.
• Hemp Flour – Use banana as a natural sweetener in baked goods made with hemp flour,
• Top your toast with banana slices and a top with hemp hearts for a nutrient-packed breakfast.

It’s Easy to Combine Bananas and Hemp

Eating ideas for bananas and hemp:

Banana & nut butter toast topped with hemp hearts.

Banana on toast with nut butter and Hemp Hearts

• Toast your favorite wheat bread
• Spread with peanut butter or almond butter
• Slice a banana on top
• Top with a generous coating of Hemp Hearts

Banana Bites – Sliced Banana, Dab of Peanut Butter, Rolled in Hemp Hearts, add tooth pick and place in the freezer until chilled & slightly firm

Banana Bites are a delicious easy nutritious snack for summer.

• Slice up some bananas
• Glop some peanut butter or almond butter on top of the banana slices
• Rolled in hemp hearts

These are a super great snack for kids. Place them in the freezer for a bit until they are slightly firm and cold. Serve & enjoy!

Banana Roll with Hemp Hearts or Toasted Whole Hemp Seeds

• Peal banana
• Lightly spread with your favorite nut butter
• Roll in Hemp Hearts or Toasted Whole Hemp Seeds

Baking with banana bring in a wonderful flavor. Here’s our recipe for bananas and hemp protein muffins. If you have a favorite using bananas and it doesn’t include hemp seed foods, try modifying your recipe and add hemp to boost the nutrition.

Most all our Hemp Protein smoothie recipes include a banana – because it’s not “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away“; it’s a banana.  Add Hemp and you’re superfood covered!

Eating better is a journey. Feeling better is your reward.

Eat Better. Feel Better. You’re worth it!

And there is always a smoothie recipe to fall back on. That’s why I’m a fan of bananas and hemp.

Recipe for PopPop's Favorite Banana Hemp Super Smoothie

PopPop will tell you it's the pineapple juice that makes this smoothie! It's a pretty simple recipe with a powerhouse of nutrition to get you going and to keep you going, but it's the banana and hemp protein combo that makes it a super-smoothie.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Servings: 1

Course: Breakfast, Snack, workout recovery

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice (see *tip below)
• 1 lg banana
• 2 tbsp hemp protein powder Better Option Foods brand
• 3 tbsp hemp hearts Better Option Foods brand

Equipment

• 1 blender

Method

 

1. DIRECTION

   1.     Combine all ingredients in the blender.

   2.     Process until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes, increasing the speed from low to high. If ingredients stick to the side of the blender, turn off the blender and scrape the sides with a spatula to push the ingredients into liquid.

   3.     Optional – add ice, pulse until ice is chopped to your desired texture, or pour over ice to chill.

   4.     Serve immediately
   

Notes

Once in a while, if I have it on hand, I'll sneak and add in a handful of raw baby kale or plain full fat Greek yogurt to this smoothie recipe...  and he doesn't even notice.

We're fans of using a combination of hemp hearts and hemp protein powder in smoothies. The protein powder is higher in protein, magnesium & iron and the hemp hearts provide essential fatty acids.

You'll get about 20g of protein when using 2-tbsp hemp protein powder and 3-tbsp of hemp hearts.

Hemp Hearts and Hemp Protein carries 20 amino acids making them very digestible. You can tailor the grams of protein you want in your smoothie by calculating the following:

• 1-tbsp hemp protein = about  5g protein
• 1-tbsp hemp hearts = about 3.3g protein

If you're looking for more fiber, try Higher Fiber Hemp Protein Powder

*tip - you can cut back (1/4 to 1/2 cup) on the pineapple juice and add water in its place. It'll cut the calories & fruit sugar. Experiment to your liking & needs.