By Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ There are dozens of wonderful milk alternatives on the market, and each seems to fit some need.  Yet the most innovative one I have seen thus far is Hemp Milk.  Until recently, moms with multiple food allergic children found themselves limited to rice milk.  While quite useful, rice milk is typically a bit sweeter and thinner than cow’s milk (consequently lower in fat, which can be a problem for growing tots), and it boasts little nutritional value beyond fortification.  But last year, Hemp Bliss arrived on the market, naturally containing protein and a good dose of fat (excellent for cooking too!), rich with those healthy EFA’s.  While there are now two competing brands of hemp milk, I like Hemp Bliss for its certified organic label, and slightly healthier profile.

Yet, until now, I didn’t have too much interest in purchasing hemp milk off the shelves.  Don’t get me wrong, I sampled all three flavors (original, vanilla, chocolate) and they were great, but these days I am on a low sugar diet, and only unsweetened varieties of milk alternative make their way into my regular rotation.  But, Hemp Bliss has finally arrived on the scene with an unsweetened version, and I made sure to get in line for a trial!

I eagerly began pouring this new hemp milk onto my cereal without noting the “no preservatives” issue … separation.  After giving it a good shake, the watery beverage turned into a thicker “milk” that was a somewhat tan in color.  Atop my homemade granola it was pretty good, but a bit stronger in flavor than the light almond milk I was accustomed too.  I was having trouble pinpointing the taste, which wasn’t quite nutty … but then I remembered Karina’s description, which seemed to fit ... the taste was a bit "grassy.”

The next morning ½ cup of the hemp milk went into my morning smoothie of frozen blueberries and a banana.  I was surprised when I could actually taste the contrasting hemp milk, since the other milk alternatives we use are drown out by the stronger fruit flavors.

For drinking straight, I would still recommend the chocolate Hemp Bliss, which is nicely sweetened and lighter on the taste buds.  However, I discovered that the unsweetened does offer much more versatility.  I used it to make dairy-free gravy (cooked over low heat to preserve as many of those EFA’s as possible!), and it performed beautifully.  The savory flavor of the hemp milk was well suited to the other flavors within the gravy, and it thickened much better than soymilk!  Though I ran out of the beverage far to quickly, and couldn’t continue my testing, I think Hemp Bliss Unsweetened could easily step into other creamy and cheesy sauce recipes.

Special Note: Hemp Bliss is Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free and Nut-Free.

Hemp Bliss Unsweetened Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Hemp Seeds, Xanthan Gum, Sea Salt.

Where to Purchase: Look for Hemp Bliss in Stores or purchase it directly from the manufacturer, Manitoba Harvest.*

*This is a third party review, we are not affiliated to this company.  Feel free to share your own comments below on this product.

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