Nutiva and Vitacost, organic, raw, shelled, shown here side-by-side (both were purchased from Vitacost):
While I'm certainly no hempseed expert, it really does seem to me that the Nutiva brand (left) is much better looking ... the seeds are far more plump and 'meaty' with a more consistent color. The Vitacost seeds (right) in comparison are lacking in size and are a bit dry. While both claim to be raw, the Vitacost seeds have much more brown going on, almost like they've been toasted a little? What do you think?
In case you are wondering, I put 3T of these in my daily green smoothies :) They add good fats, protein and a creamy texture; the flavor is pretty neutral as far as I can tell. 3T is also said to contain excellent amounts of a few other vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.
While I use them exclusively in my smoothies (the only consistent thing I eat each day), they can also be sprinkled on to other food like salad, pizza, eggs, etc.
