Hemp seed hearts — the shelled inner kernel of Cannabis sativa, containing no meaningful THC — are the most nutritionally interesting ingredient in the bar, and the one where a strong claim is actually defensible.
Hemp contains all nine essential amino acids. That is not marketing language; it is a documented property of hemp seed protein. It is also the reason we can talk about protein quality rather than only protein quantity.
What follows is what hemp does, what the ratio of fats in it means, and where we stop short of claiming more than the evidence supports.
Why we use them
Two reasons, and they are independent of each other.
Amino acid completeness. Hemp seed protein contains all nine amino acids the human body cannot synthesise. Very few plant foods do. This is what lifts the bar's protein from “some grams of plant protein” to a profile worth describing.
Fat quality. Hemp is a source of both linoleic acid (an omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA (an omega-3), and it delivers them in a ratio much closer to the range nutrition researchers regard as favourable than most seed oils manage.
What ALA omega-3 actually is — and isn't
This is where most brands overreach, so we will be precise.
ALA is the plant form of omega-3. The long-chain forms associated with much of the cardiovascular and cognitive research — EPA and DHA — come mainly from marine sources. The human body can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that this conversion is limited.
So: hemp is a genuine dietary source of omega-3. It is not equivalent to fish oil, and we will not describe it that way. If you are specifically after EPA and DHA, a Forward Bar is not your delivery mechanism.
What hemp contributes to the bar
Hemp hearts are soft, mild and slightly creamy, which is why the bar does not taste like a seed cluster. Texturally they let us use more seed content before the bar becomes gritty — one of the recurring complaints about whole-food bars generally.
For the amount of protein a Forward Bar delivers per serving, see the nutrition panel on the ingredients page.
Hemp Seeds: common questions
Is hemp seed a complete protein?
Hemp seed contains all nine essential amino acids, which is the usual definition of a complete protein. Note that “complete” describes which amino acids are present, not how much total protein a food delivers.
Does hemp seed contain omega-3?
Yes — as ALA, the plant form. ALA is a genuine omega-3, but it is not the same as the EPA and DHA found in marine sources, and the body converts ALA to those forms only to a limited extent.
Will hemp seeds show up on a drug test?
Food-grade hemp seed hearts contain only trace cannabinoids. Reports of positive tests have historically involved products with poor seed cleaning or hemp oil rather than properly processed hearts. If you are subject to testing under a specific protocol, check with whoever administers it.
Sources
Every nutrient statement on this page is supported by one of the following. We cite institutional and peer-reviewed sources only.
- USDA FoodData Central U.S. Department of Agriculture Reference composition data for whole foods
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids — Fact Sheet for Health Professionals NIH Office of Dietary Supplements ALA versus EPA/DHA and conversion limits
- The Nutrition Source Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Evidence reviews on nuts, seeds, fats and fibre
- Micronutrient Information Center Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University Peer-reviewed summaries of micronutrient function
- Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels U.S. Food and Drug Administration How %DV is defined and calculated
Links last checked 2026-07-31. Nutrient amounts for The Forward Bar come from our own product testing and appear on the pack and on each product page.