Hemp Hearts will Improve Nutrition in Your Smoothie Recipe

This hemp heart smoothie recipe was my mom’s favorite. Hemp hearts support good brain function and heart health. Using hemp seeds for smoothies is a smart choice. Hemp hearts’ nutrition includes complete protein among a full plate of numerous vitamins and minerals. Hemp seeds are an excellent source of magnesium and iron too. Nothing is fortified or isolated.  The hemp protein along with the magnesium and iron,  is very digestible and will provide you with omega energy to boot.

Hemp hearts in a smoothie make a very good choice because not only are they a powerhouse of nutrition, they blend up really nice without leaving a chalky texture like other protein powders do. The mild nutty flavor of hemp hearts will compliment sweet, tangy or spicy, so fear not; add them to your own favorite smoothie recipe to boost nutrition. Any hemp heart smoothie can be made vegan friendly and gluten free.

This Hemp Heart Smoothie Recipe Has a Short List of Ingredients

Only 4 ingredients needed for this hemp heart smoothie. But it’s not short on nutrition and the essential fatty acids can’t be beat!

All you’ll need is:

• Better Option Foods Hemp Hearts
• Orange Juice
• Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
• A Banana

Hemp Hearts for your Smoothie

Why is This Hemp Heart Smoothie the Best Smoothie for Brain and Heart Health?

Let’s start with brain health. Our brains need good fats and other nutrients in order to function properly. Brain fog is a real thing and if you’re feeling groggy and out of it, you need to be sure you’re feeding your brain with proper nutrients. Hemp seeds and hemp hearts are a superfood choice because they provide essential fatty acids; AKA, omega-6 and omega-3; in a perfect balance of 3:1.

Your muscles are not the only part of your body that needs protein, your brain needs amino acids – clean protein to do all the important things it needs to do for healthy body function. Hemp protein carries 20 amino acids, including the 9-essential amino acids we must obtain from the food we eat, making this Hemp Heart Smoothie a win-win!

🧠 Why Hemp Hearts Are Good for Brain Health:

1. Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids

   • Hemp hearts contain a near-perfect ratio (3:1) of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which supports cognitive function, mood regulation, and mental clarity.

   • Omega-3s, especially ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), are essential for building and maintaining brain cell membranes.

2. Magnesium

   • Vital for nerve transmission and neuromuscular coordination.

   • Helps reduce stress and improve focus.

3. Complete Protein

   • All 9 essential amino acids fuel brain performance and neurotransmitter activity.

A Hemp Heart Smoothie is great brain food for children as well as adults. If you have little mouths to feed, be sure they’re getting sufficient omegas in their diet. Essential fatty acids are needed for concentration and can help with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, which is a neurological disorder that is characterized as difficulties with attention span, hyperactivity and impulsivity.) Since this hemp heart smoothie is sweet with strawberries, kids will like it too. If you have a picky eater, find different ways to hide hemp hearts in foods they will eat.

❤️ Why Hemp Hearts Support Heart Health:

When it comes to your heart, hemp hearts will help to keep the ‘ole ticker running top notch.  Hemp seeds can be helpful in lowering blood pressure too. Don’t be fooled by low-fat diets. Your heart needs good fats along with other important nutrients. The fats that hemp seeds provide are the good ones. Hemp is an excellent source of magnesium and potassium. Since this hemp heart smoothie calls for a banana, strawberries and orange juice; those ingredients will pump up the potassium, provide vitamin C, and fiber; along with other beneficial heart-smart nutrients and antioxidants.

1. Omega Fatty Acids

   • These healthy fats help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol.

   • Reduce inflammation in blood vessels, which helps prevent heart disease.

2. Magnesium & Potassium

   • Help regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm.

   • Magnesium in particular relaxes blood vessels, improving circulation.

3. Plant-Based Protein & Fiber (whole hemp seeds are rich in fiber)

   • Promote overall cardiovascular health by reducing blood sugar spikes and supporting healthy weight management.

The balance of the protein in hemp makes it very digestible and it does not put a stress on your kidneys like some isolated proteins. Some isolated protein powders can be constipating too. It’s not just about the quantity of grams of protein you’re eating, you need to focus on the quality of the protein you’re choosing to eat.

This Hemp Heart Smoothie is Flexible for Your Taste & Protein Needs

This smoothie recipe calls for hemp hearts only, because that’s what mom liked. (She became The Grateful Mammie – named by her great granddaughter.) She loved the sweet taste of the strawberries with the banana and orange juice, it satisfied her taste buds. Some people may feel this smoothie is too sweet and may consider it high in fruit sugars.

But I have to tell you, mom lived to be nearly 92, she was not overweight, she was not incontinent, she walked on her own and made an effort to keep moving. She had most of her faculties aside from aphasia, which she worked on improving her speech daily. When she left this life, she did not suffer with any diabetes or sugar issues. She made sure she ate enough fiber. Did you know, fiber helps to mitigate blood sugar spikes? Review this fiber article as related to sugar. Moral? What you eat matters!

Mom was a big believer in eating a banana every day. Bananas offer a range of health benefits due to their rich nutrient content, including potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, fiber, and antioxidants. Bananas support heart health, aid in digestion, manage blood pressure and bananas provide energy. Additionally, bananas can help with weight management, improve mood, and potentially support sleep. Here’s more about bananas and why I include the superfruit banana in my smoothies with hemp hearts.

Tailoring Hemp Protein and Nutrients for Your Hemp Heart Smoothie

I’m a big fan of combining hemp hearts and hemp protein powder in my smoothies. The protein powder will boost protein, magnesium & iron and the hemp hearts will provide those needed essential fatty acids. If you’re going to use only one of them; my suggestion is the hemp hearts because the hemp hearts give you an excellent supply of essential fatty acids. Plus their mild nutty flavor allows you to eat them with other meals by adding them to salads, oatmeal and yogurt.

I use 3 to 4 tablespoon of hemp hearts and 1 heaping tablespoon of hemp protein powder for most my smoothies. On a protein standpoint, this combination provides me with about 15 to 19 grams of complete protein. Equivalent to eating 3 eggs.

Hemp hearts carry all the same goodness as hemp protein powder, but with a slightly less concentration of protein. The trade off is, you’ll get good fats with hemp hearts because the hemp protein powder does not carry a significant amount of fatty acids. By volume, a tablespoon of hemp protein powder will have a higher content of magnesium, iron & potassium than the hemp heart. So… that’s why I use both .

How to Tailor the Grams of Hemp Protein for Your Needs

You can add hemp protein powder to this smoothie recipe to boost nutrients.

Hemp Hearts and Hemp Protein both 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

Are You Caring for an Older Senior Adult in Your Household?

Caring for a geriatric loved one has its challenges whether they are living with you or in an assisted living facility. Seeing to it they are getting proper nutrition can be a huge challenge because sometimes they have difficulty chewing up food and swallowing it like they used to. Often they don’t like the taste of foods because their taste buds are dull. Sweet tasting foods tend to be attractive to them because those taste buds tend to remain the longest. Filling the nutritional gap with a Hemp Heart smoothies is an excellent choice. I know there are various bottled-up nutritional drinks on the market; but have you read through the ingredients?

Yes, I know you may think its more work to prepare a 4 or 5 ingredient smoothie than twisting off a cap on a plastic bottle that’s “doctor recommended” and formulated in a lab by a pharmaceutical company. Little to no fiber, no essential fatty acids, added sugar… a concoction of supplements in liquid form.  Further, the chalky taste…  rather icky. No wonder they’re cranky. They’re hangry! You can easily make something better and you’ll feel better. Buy hemp hearts today. They’ll be at your door in a few days.

Young, old, disabled or mentally challenged. As the care giver, you too need to eat what your body needs to stay healthy. Avoid hangry and burn out. Be sure you’re taking care of yourself.

Eat Better. Feel Better. You’re worth it!  And the person you’re caring for is worth it too.

This blog is dedicated to caregivers

Thanks for your time in reading this blog post. If you know someone who will benefit from this information, please share it with them.

The Grateful Mammie's Smoothie

Fruity sweet, taste's like summer. Easy with frozen berries. Mom's favorite was strawberries and she loved hemp hearts. You'll get complete protein and the omegas you need for all-day energy. Backed up with a healthy supply of magnesium, potassium and iron. Great for mornings, after a work-out, or mid day. Flexible to tailor to your taste and needs.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 6 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Drinks, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

• 1 blender

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups Orange Juice (*see tip below) other fruit juice like pineapple may be used
• 1 lg Banana
• 1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Strawberries whole or sliced; any frozen berries of your choice may be substituted
• 3 to 4 tbsp Hemp Hearts Better Option Foods brand

Instructions

 

• DIRECTION

  1.     Combine all ingredients in the blender.
  
•   Process until smooth and creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes, until the frozen fruit has blended up. 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 the liquid.

  3.     Optional – add ice, pulse until ice is chopped to your desired texture, or pour over ice to chill. Personally I think the blended frozen fruit makes a nice slushy consistency.

  4.     Serve immediately. Enjoy!
  

Notes

This recipe calls for Hemp Hearts only, because that was the Grateful Mammie's favorite.

You can substitute the orange juice with another fruit juice or a non-dairy milk like almond milk if you prefer less sweet.

I often use a combination of hemp hearts and hemp protein powder in my smoothies. The protein powder will boost protein, magnesium & iron and the hemp hearts will provide needed essential fatty acids.

I use 3 to 4 tbsp of hemp hearts and 1 heaping tbsp of hemp protein powder.

Hemp hearts carry all the same goodness as hemp protein powder, but in a slightly less concentration of protein, vitamins & minerals. The trade is, you'll get those good fats the hemp hearts supply. Hemp protein powder does not have a significant amount of omegas.

You can add hemp protein powder to this smoothie recipe to boost nutrients.

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 regarding the orange juice - you can cut back slightly (1/4 to 1/2 cup) on the fruit juice and add water or ice cubes in its place.

Experiment as to how many strawberries you prefer for making your taste buds happy.

Keyword hemp hearts, hemp protein, hemp seeds, plant based protein, smoothie recipes