Homemade nut or seed milk is so much more delicious than the packaged version, and it’s much easier to make than you would think. All you need is a blender, a nut bag (or a bag from the paint or hardware store that is used by painters to strain paint that has old dried pieces in it), and a glass jar to store your “milk” in.

I like hemp milk because it contains a good type of fat called alpha linolenic acid, which is a precursor to omega-3 EPA and DHA. Hemp seeds are also a sustainable crop, unlike almonds. In California, almond trees command a lot of water (we have droughts here so stop eating so many almonds!), and farmers irrigate their trees with wastewater (yuck!).

By making your own hemp milk, you can control the sweetness by adding monk fruit to taste, and you can add vanilla if you wish. I like the monk fruit made by NuNaturals because it is pure monk fruit without any erythritol added. A little goes a long way. You can buy it at iherb.com.

Here are the steps for making hemp milk in two minutes or less:

1. Pour a ratio of 1/4 cup hulled organic hemp seeds to 2 cups of water into your blender.

2. Blend on the juice setting until done.

3. Pour into your prepared container: this is your glass container with the strainer bag tucked into it. See picture.

4. Squeeze the bag until all the “milk is in the jar and you’re just left with the remnants of the seeds.

5. Add to your sweetener and vanilla to taste, then mix.

6. Stays fresh in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.