Protein Party: Nutiva Hemp Powder

By Christa Shelton

I had the pleasure of volunteering my social media skills to help out with the Green Festival in Los Angeles back in November.  It was a great experience;  I got to walk around snapping pictures to post on various social networks about the festival.  Try not to be too jealous.  Anyway, one thing I love most about festivals, trade shows, conferences and the like is the free stuff everyone throws your way while walking the floor! I know you may have expected me to say meeting new people and valuable information, but let’s be honest, everyone loves free stuff first and foremost!

I picked up and tried quite a few goodies during my shift, one of which was a packet of Nutiva’s Hemp Protein powder.  I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes displeasure) of tasting quite a few different protein products in my day.  This one grabbed me for a few different reasons: organic, non-GMO and did I say free?  I promise you I’m not cheap, especially about what I put in my body. However, many powders on the market are on the pricey side and they aren’t always great. So having a chance to taste one before purchasing is always a winner and wallet-saver.  I have also heard countless positive things about the benefits of hemp.  So, I snatched up a packet with the intention of adding some to my daily green smoothie.

Now as I mentioned, I have tried some hemp protein powders in the past that have not been up to par. I tried one a while back that somehow took the deliciousness of coconut water, spinach, strawberries, pineapple and banana and replaced it with what I imagine sand tastes like. I’m glad I’m not one to sterotype and get turned off to a whole concept based on a few bad experiences.

So, with an open mind I added the suggested serving amount of the Nutiva hemp powder to my smoothie and didn’t notice anything but a slightly thicker smoothie.  The taste was so mild it was almost unrecognizable. Needless to say I was very pleased.  Not only was I able to enjoy the desired taste of my smoothie, I was doing so while having the benefit of a healthy dose of raw hemp protein to boot!  Nutiva is 100 percent raw organic hemp protein powder with no hexane, gluten, dairy, lactose or sweeteners. I was able to get about three full servings out of the one 1.1 oz packet.  After having my third smoothie with the protein powder in it, I was wishing I had more.  I’m not huge on protein supplements since I know I get more than enough from sources such as beans, quinoa and certain veggies to name a few.  However, I plan to add Nutiva to my pantry for even more variety in the future.  I figure a 3lb bag will last me a good while, so the $41.99 investment will be well worth it!

Christa Shelton is a vegan health coach and speaker. For more from Christa, follow her on Twitter at @vegginoutwcrs.