Healthy Snacks for the Munchies - Part 1
By CLOVR Cannabis
March 18 2021
recipes
Long-using cannabis users know all too well what new users are likely figuring out: you can get some serious munchies when partaking! I personally have noticed increased munchies when using edibles. No matter what, chances are you’ve experienced an accelerated appetite when using marijuana.
If you’re not careful you can wind up gaining unwanted weight. I remember in college, a friend of mine gained almost 40 pounds in one summer from the munchies, Fortunately, this was a warning sign for me. Since then, I’ve primarily stuck to healthy options when I get the munchies.
To keep from gaining unwanted weight while you’re using, here are some healthy snacks for the munchies – for when those cravings from marijuana won’t let up. Some of them you can even binge on! Here’s our list of simple and healthy snacks for the inevitable munchies …
Air-popped, if possible, easy on the salt and no butter. Sorry. ?
This is another ‘I’m aging myself by saying this’ moment, but remember back in the day those upright air-poppers there were all the rage in [cough, cough] the 80s? Well, the closest you can get to a finished popped product those things cranked out is what you are looking for. If you absolutely have to, there are healthy options for popcorn toppings. Just pick the ones without (or very little) salt or sugar.
We check the ole’ interwebs and found these to have good ratings:
If you’re prone to munchies or just love snacking in general then having carrot, celery, zucchini and other root, stiff veggies cut into the stick are awesome things to have on hand. Together with hummus and you have a tasty, easy and healthy snack to keep the calories away while you are partaking. You, of course, can use other dips, just stay clear of the axis of evil: sugar, salt and saturated fats.
I like Greek yogurt, quark, or skyr mixed with different spices to make an easy, healthy dip for veggie sticks. My current favorite is homemade ranch dressing using low-fat Greek yogurt with a dollop of mayo and a pinch here-n-there of: onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, dried parsley, dried chives and a tiny dash of salt. Add a little more or less of something depending on your taste and you’ve got a great variety to your healthy veggie stick snack!
These are amazing! You will not believe how easy they are to make or how (relatively) healthy they are! The best thing about these is you can change them up by using different fruits and even adding different baking extras (coconut, rum, vanilla, etc.) to create limitless flavor combinations. Banana is the base fruit and should not be substituted since it helps keep the pops stuck together when they start melting.
photo courtesy of SuperHealthyKids.com
All you do is add one cup of plain Greek yogurt, quark or skyr; one medium banana; ⅛ cup of honey and one cup of your favorite fruit. Throw everything in a blender and pour into paper cupcake cups in a muffin tin. Cover the tin tautly with cellophane or aluminum foil, then insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for several hours or until frozen all the way through.
Keep in mind some fruits like fresh pineapple or fruits that are more fibrous may not blend well, unless you have a super powerful blender.
I know the word ‘sammie’ or ‘sandwich’ conjures up images of delicious, crusty artisan bread holding together a cornucopia of meats, cheeses and condiments … but for the munchies, it’s best to stay away from too many carbohydrates – especially yummy carbs like artisans breads! (Man, now I have bakery-style bread on my brain!) So why not try cucumbers!
photo courtesy of NutritionTwins.com
Slice a cucumber into slightly thick slices and use them like Ritz crackers with deli meats and cheeses between two ‘slices’. I love a nice little slice of low-fat Gouda cheese and Black Forest ham with a slice of tomato topped with a tiny dollop of mayo to tide me over between meals. This low-calorie, low-fat snack is also great for marijuana-causing munchie. You can even go a step further and replace the mayo with Greek yogurt, quark or skyr. But, hey I have to indulge a bit from time-to-time!
OK, I’m taking this from the OG lifestyle diva herself, Martha Stewart, because I haven’t tried these yet but they look scrumptious! And with only three ingredients they look super simple to make. You simply place the mushroom caps on the baking sheet and drizzle a little olive oil over them; flip and repeat. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and pop those puppies into an oven that’s preheated to 400 degrees. Flip the caps every 10-12 minutes until they are the crispiness you want and there you go!
You can probably sprinkle a little parmesan or goat’s cheese on them for the final 10-12 minute oven interval … or maybe add some super-lean, drained crumbled pork with some Italian seasoning … or use your yummy homemade ranch dip from above to dip them in! It’s looking like the possibilities with these roast shiitake mushrooms are endless!
… to this blog for more healthy recipes that are great for the possible onset of munchies. As always, drink plenty of water and stick with healthy options if the urge comes on. Eating even one chip or cookie will literally open the floodgates to some serious munchies! So stay away from axis of evil: sugar, salt and saturated fats. Also as much as we love ’em, edibles can increase the cravings. So watch out!
Happy partaking and snacking!