Are Hemp Seeds Safe for Kids?

Hello everyone! It’s Wednesday and I hope you guys are excited because starting this week, Wednesdays I will be answering your questions. These are questions that have been either emailed to me or asked in the comment section of other article. Today, I thought I’d take some time to answer a question that has come up to me many times. Are hemp seeds safe for kids?

First, as much as I sometimes find it strange that people don’t quite understand exactly what hemp is, I want to set aside any embarassment for anyone afraid to ask and say to you that it’s not a silly question. Unless you fully understand what hemp is, this is a question you may not have the answer to yet. Besides…these are our kids right? We only want the best for them.

With that being said, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to hemp seeds or hemp hearts (the shelled version of hemp seeds) and your kids. Hemp seeds absolutely are safe for children and really are no different than giving them pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or flax seeds. Of course as with any food, you want to keep an eye on serving size and realize they should be adjusted for a smaller body. No, not because of any THC levels…there aren’t any remember. Instead, you want to adjust based on the daily recommended values of each nutrient you are providing to your child.

For an example, according to the CDC, as an adult woman, the recommended daily allowance for protein is 46 grams per day. My daughter on the other hand, needs just 13 grams of protein each day. Since a single serving of 3 tablespoons of hemp hearts contains 10 grams of protein, you can see you won’t need as much for a child to meet their daily allowance.

You would want to adjust children’s intake considerably less taking into account the other protein based foods you are giving your child. My own child, who is now 18 months old I have a really hard time getting to eat any meat. On days when this happens and meet is off the list, I increase her intake of hemp seed and feel better knowing she is still getting her recommended daily allowance of protein.

Hemp seeds are grown naturally with no pesticides or herbacides. They are nature’s superfood and contain all 20 amino acids making it the perfect food to give your child for a healthy and well balanced diet. There are so many nutritional benefits to giving your child hemp seed as part of their regular diet that I couldn’t list them all here. Just read the full details here.

Why You Should Add Hemp Seeds to your Child’s Diet

Now that you know hemp seeds are completely safe for children, really no different than eating any other seed in nature, let’s talk about why you should add them to your children’s diet.

• Hemp seeds contain the perfect ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 EFA’s. For many children, including hemp seeds could be the healthiest thing you could do for them.
• Hemp seeds are gluten free and is a great solution for children who have sensitivities to gluten products.
• Hemp seeds are 100% natural and easily digestible. That means no issues for those who have intolerances to dairy products (check out hemp milk) or nuts.
• Unlike other seeds, hemp seeds actually taste good! That means kids will actually want to eat them and giving them good nutrition won’t be a constant battle.
• Hemp seeds are high in protein and if you have small children who don’t like to eat meat or if your child is on a vegan diet, hemp seeds are a great way to get a fantastic amount of protein into their diet.
• Hemp seeds are a great source of iron that children need to help with natural growth and development.

Hemp Seed Serving Ideas for Children

My own daugther will eat the hemp hearts right out of the bag, but we’ve also come to find plenty of other ways that are kid friendly. Here are a few of my family’s favorite ways to eat hemp seeds.

If you’re just getting started with hemp, I recommend getting a starter pack from Manitoba Harvest to get all 3 hemp products (hemp hearts, hemp oil and hemp protein powder). Trust me, you will love all 3 and this is a great and inexpensive way to try all 3.

• Toasted hemp seeds are a favorite in my house. You can grab some awesome toasted hemp seeds from Hippie Butter (check their product listings).
• Spread some almond butter or peanut butter on a banana and press the butter side down into a plate of hemp seed until covered. (This is my daughters favorite snack!)
• Smoothies are a great breakfast and mixing in hemp hearts into your smoothies is loved by kids…who doesn’t love smoothies?
• On days when oatmeal is on the menu for breakfast, sprinkle some hemp hearts into your childs oatmeal for a kick of protein to start their day.
• If your child eats granola for a snack, you can easily mix in some hemp hearts or toasted hemp seeds into the granola mix.

Give your child a healthy diet by including hemp seed in their diet. It’s a family affair! Get your hemp hearts here from Manitoba Harvest.

Do your kids love hemp seeds? Let me know below!