Living Harvest Vanilla Hempmilk

By: Tanya Taylor, PhD | Jul 17, 2007

It used to be that the only milk alternatives available in grocery stores were soy and rice milk, but in recent times, a plethora of dairy alternatives have joined the ranks, including hazelnut milk, oatmilk, almond milk, and now HempMilk. I browsed around Living Harvest's website to find out more about hemp and its health benefits (and finding out, thankfully, that it is NOT the same thing as marijuana). Hemp seed is one of the plant kingdom's most concentrated, complete and balanced sources of essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6. It actually even has a better omega-3,6 profile than the popular flax seed.

Living Harvest hempmilk comes in three flavors, original, chocolate, and vanilla. I decided to go with the vanilla, since that is the flavor I prefer the most. After pouring myself a glass of the ivory-colored liquid, I found myself gulping down the contents - this beverage is absolutely delicious! It has a smooth, mellow flavor and texture reminiscent of French Vanilla, and, to my delight, is not overly sweet like other vanilla - flavored beverages. While the flavors of some dairy-alternative beverages tend to be an acquired taste over time, it only took one cup of Living Harvest Hempmilk to get me hooked!

One cup of Living Harvest Hempmilk has 130 calories, 3 grams of fat (0.5 grams of saturated fat), 4 grams of protein and 20 grams of carbohydrates which includes 18 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of fiber (4% of the RDA). While the sugar content may be a bit high, and the protein content a bit low, compared to other milk alternatives, it is important to note that the pros of the hempmilk certainly outweigh the cons. Hempmilk is naturally a rich source of many micronutrients, including 15% of the RDA for Iron, 46% for Calcium, 25% Vitamin D and Vitamin B12, 5% Folic Acid, 18% Vitamin A, as well as other vitamins and minerals (such as Vitamin E, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Zinc. In addition, it contains 900 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids, 2800 mg of omega-6 fatty acids and all 10 essential amino acids. Quite a few nutrients packed into just one cup!

As a vegan, I appreciate the exceptional levels of vitamin B12, calcium, and other important nutrients that Living Harvest Hempmilk provides. And, perhaps more importantly, I enjoy its delectable taste and smooth texture as well. Overall, I consider it to be a great substitution for dairy milk, soymilk, and other nut and grain-based milk alternatives.

I purchased a carton of Living Harvest hempmilk at my local Whole Foods store for $3.69. Although it costs a bit more than other beverages, I feel that it's well worth the price. Since it is self stable, I plan to stock my pantry with quite a few cartons - yes, it is just that good!

This review was done by Liz Stark, aka VeggieGirl. Liz is a health conscious vegan who has a passion for nutrition, cooking, food photography, and especially writing. She aspires to write for a magazine publication in the future, such as VegNews or Vegetarian Times. Visit her at her new blog VeggieGirl Vegan.

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