7 Things To Consider When Buying Hemp Seeds

If you’ve decided to give hemp seeds a try, you’ll quickly find out that there’s a lot of options you can choose from. It’s easy to get confused after searching for options online, as there are many smaller boutique brands that you might not have heard of.

We’re here to help.

Here are the top 7 things to consider when buying hemp seeds:

1. What kind of hemp seeds do I want?
2. Where was the hemp grown?
3. What the hemp taste like?
4. What brand should I buy from?
5. Who offers the best price?
6. Who has the best reviews?
7. What are different ways to eat raw hemp seeds?

Now, let’s start breaking these down one by one.

1. What kind of hemp seeds should you buy?

Hulled hemp, often called hemp hearts, is the entire hemp seed with the crunchy outer shell removed. Removing the shell also makes the hemp hearts more nutritious, as it increases the overall percentage of protein and essential fatty acids.

Toasted hemp seeds are whole hemp seeds that are roasted in high temperatures for a varied length of time. This results in a popcorn-like snack that makes it easy to snack on.

In addition to hulled & toasted hemp seeds, producers add hemp seeds as a key ingredient to hemp bars or spreads.

Depending on how you want to eat hemp seeds, you have many choices to choose from.

2. Check where the hemp seeds are from

For good edible hemp seed, Canada is known to be the best quality among countries that grow hemp. This is not only because of the taste of the hemp strain that the Canadian farmers use but also because of the strict restrictions that the Canadian government enforces.

Canadian farmers are only allowed to use hemp seed varieties that are listed under Health Canada’s List of Approved Cultivars. All hemp seeds from Canada are non-GMO verified, which means the seeds are not genetically modified. Canadian farmers also don’t use pesticides when farming hemp. You can also look for the “Pro-Cert Organic” certifications on the brands that you buy.

A lot of hemp manufacturers are now warning consumers to watch out for Chinese hemp that is flooding the market. Chinese hemp producers aren’t regulated as strictly as Canadian farmers. Since you won’t be able to taste the hemp until you buy a packet, make sure to check their labels to ensure the hemp is certified from Canada!

3. What does hemp seed taste like?

Hemp seeds have a pleasant nutty taste that could be compared to unflavored sunflower seeds, but with a much softer texture.

4. What brand should I buy from?

It’s relatively easy to find hemp seeds online now through Amazon and Google. If you’re strictly looking for raw or toasted hemp seeds, I’d recommend buying through Amazon. We’ve compiled a ranking of brands based on price and reviews below.

If you’re looking to buy other types of hemp seed products (like hemp bars or hemp spreads), there are actually several domestic brands that offer delicious options.

5. Amazon Price Comparison: Which hemp brands are the most price competitive?

Price for hemp seeds are most cost-competitive on Amazon. Products range from $9 per lb to $23 per lb. These prices are dependent on the brand and the packaging size.

1. Just Hemp Foods Hulled Hemp Seeds $8.75 per lb
2. Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed $9.60 per lb
3. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts $9.87 per lb
4. Terrasoul Raw Hulled Hemp Seeds $18.40 per lb
5. Hemptopia Toasted Hemp Seeds $18.99 per lb
6. Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Hemp Seeds $29.44 per lb
7. Himalania Dark Chocolate Covered Hemp Seeds $35.36 per lb

6. Amazon Review Comparison: Which hemp brand has the best reviews?

The quality of hemp seed brands can be attested to by their online reviews. On average, hemp protein brands have Amazon reviews higher than 4.6 stars, with most of them having over 100 reviewers. Below are the average ratings of the highest rated protein products on Amazon:

1. Just Hemp Foods Hulled Hemp Seeds– 4.8/5.0 (600+ reviews)
2. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts– 4.8/5.0 (2600+ reviews)
3. Nutiva Organic Shelled Hempseed – 4.8/5.0 (1400+ reviews)
4. Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Hemp Seeds – 4.4/5.0 (223 reviews)
5. Terrasoul Raw Hulled Hemp Seeds – 4.6/5.0 (114 reviews)
6. Himalania Dark Chocolate Covered Hemp Seeds – 4.2/5.0 (66 reviews)

7. What are different ways I can eat hemp seeds?

• Eat raw as a snack
• Mix into your smoothie
• Sprinkle on top of cereal, salads, yogurt, or even oatmeal
• Substitute hemp for breadcrumbs to coat chicken or fish
• Blend with water to make hemp seed milk
• Ground hemp seed to use as a condiment
• Toasted hemp seeds can be eaten like popcorn

To see a full review of hemp seed products, check out our Hemp Seed Reviews page.