Each year our review staff samples hundreds of new dairy-free products. We are constantly scouring the shelves for the latest natural goodies to challenge the myth that dairy-free living is anything less than delicious. This year we had so many new innovations to choose from that it was mind-boggling, but we finally narrowed it down to ten wonderful foods. Oh yes, and our selections are completely unbiased, unsponsored, and personally sampled, so you can bet these are foods we happily spend our own hard-earned money on …

Number 6: Manitoba Harvest HempPro 70

This year a couple of our reviewers, myself included, have been making the review rounds with dairy-free protein powders. At first I was on a mission to help the many people who email us in seek of protein supplements that don’t contain dairy or soy, but as my own athletic pursuits picked up, I found myself taking the sampling a bit more seriously.

We trialed an abundance of brown rice protein powders, egg white protein powders, and hemp protein powders. Yet, it wasn’t until Manitoba Harvest released their HempPro 70 that I found myself truly impressed. I do feel that each of the various protein powders has their place, and I in fact stock three different types myself. However, the HempPro 70 does some things that the other hemp protein powders can’t match, it packs more protein per serving (70%, hence the 70) and the finer texture all but eliminates the grit issue (see the picture below for the comparison in texture of HempPro with two lower protein hemp powders).

Though I am not a fan of most hemp protein powders in smoothies (due to the grit and thick consistency), the HempPro 70 is seamless. It also works nicely in homemade energy bars and bites, and whisked into salad dressings. Since those good Omega-3’s in Hemp are fragile, this isn’t a protein powder you will want to heat up, say as a supplement in pancakes or baked goods; though it is wonderful for raw and uncooked applications.

Hemp protein powder is completely vegan, gluten-free / grain-free, soy-free, dairy-free, hexane-free (referring to the method for concentrating the protein), and pretty well all allergen-free (unless of course you are allergic to the hemp plant!).

For more information:

• Read our full Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein Powder Review
• Visit the Manitoba Harvest website

Article and photos by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.