Health Is Beauty

A Protein-Packed Spring Detox Salad Recipe Featuring Delicious Nutiva Hemp Seeds

NutivaHempArugulaSalad EcoChick

I take being called a food snob as a compliment. After all, I am the designer of myself, inside and out, so I choose to use high quality materials for my self creation. When it comes to what foods go into my body, what actually becomes me, I want only the best of the best! So I love to incorporate edibles like superfood seeds into my diet (like hemp and chia seeds), which offer amazing nutrients like unparalleled plant proteins and good fats.

Hemp seeds have a rich, nutty flavor and are a superstar addition to any meal (especially awesome for anyone looking to add more plant based proteins to their diet). They are versatile and can be added to a wide range of dishes, including alternative milks, desserts, breads, granola, yogurt, salads, and smoothies.

Hemp seeds are sown into the hemptape, which is placed into greenhouse trays and germinated. Nutritionally, hemp seeds consist of fat, protein and fiber. Their fats come in the form of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, in a very desirable ratio. Also, their arrangement of essential amino acids are more similar to the complete animal proteins than most other plant proteins. Just one serving of hemp seeds provides 11g of protein and a seriously impressive dose of iron for a plant.

With anything you consume, it is essential to consider the source and the quality – it feels great to be made of high quality, intentionally sourced superfoods! I am ultra conscious of the brands that I choose because some have integrity and many don’t.

Lately, I’ve been loving Nutiva’s hemp seeds. Nutiva is awesome because they are 100% certified organic, non-gmo, and “committed to a healthy and sustainable world for all.” They donate 1% of their profit to organizations committed to sustainable agriculture. Nutiva definitely gets my stamp of approval, and they live up to their slogan by truly “nourishing people and planet.”

While experimenting in my kitchen laboratory, I came up with a couple great recipes using Nutiva’s hemp and chia seeds.

Arugula Avocado Hemp Salad

This recipe is super easy, rich in flavor, and very satisfying. It takes about 4 minutes to prepare and will energize you as it is loaded with good fats and protein! It also has a good amount of fiber, keeping your GI tract happy and healthy 🙂 I love eating this salad with chopsticks, just for fun!

you will need…
a bowl full of arugula
half an avocado, thinly sliced
quarter of a cup of Nutiva hemp seeds
juice of half a lemon
a couple tablespoons of olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
fresh ground pepper

and then you…
Toss the greens in a bowl with the dressing and hemp seeds, then delicately place the avocado slices on top, and enjoy!

Food images courtesy of Liz Blake