Since today is 4/20, I thought it would be a good time to answer a question a friend asked me a few months ago. We started talking about how I went to nutrition school and I told him I was coaching people to make healthier choices. He said, “I know this is probably a stupid question, but….I smoke a lot of weed and I always get the munchies and eat the worst food. Any suggestions?”
:)
Well, first of all, it’s not a stupid question. It happens to a lot of people. And for the sake of this article, let’s just assume “smoke less weed” is not an option for this person (hey, I’m not a drug counselor). So, if you’re going to smoke weed no matter what, and you always get the munchies and eat crap, what can you do?!
Here are a few things that might help you do the least amount of damage to your body when you get the munchies:
- Prepare food ahead of time. Make some of your favorite healthy (but also flavorful, of course) foods – ones that you know you’ll be excited to eat, set them up and have them ready to go.
- Stay away from processed artificial junk. If you know you’re going to be consuming an excess amount of calories in one sitting, at least try to choose whole foods — meaning foods that you can picture in nature (no, Oreos don’t grow on trees).
- Learn to make healthier versions of your favorite foods, or find a restaurant that will deliver them. There are places that make things like vegan, gluten-free or whole wheat pizza, Chinese and Thai restaurants that have fresh vegetable dishes with brown rice, and there are plenty of healthier sweets out there.
- Stay away from convenience stores & gas stations. These are the worst places to pick up food especially when your judgment is impaired. Do your food shopping at a healthy store beforehand.
- Make sure your kitchen is stocked with healthy, wholesome snack options, and that you don’t even have the option of opening a bag of Doritos because it’s not there. Here’s a list of some healthy snack ideas — and it’s important to have some salty and some sweet options, because, hey – you never know what kind of craving will strike.
Snack ideas:
- Hummus with whole wheat/sprouted grain pita or baby carrots
- Guacamole with organic, whole grain tortilla chips
- Fruit (grapes, berries, & watermelon are great options, or a big bowl of all different kinds of fruit)
- Nuts or seeds of any kind – almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds
- Dates (amazing topped with almond butter!)
- Smoothies with fruit & almond milk (try it with mango & blueberry)
- Olives or pickles
- Salted edamame
Hope this helps! And for the record, no, I am not promoting drug use, but the reality is that people are out there getting the munchies as we speak, and they might be looking for nutritional suggestions too. :)
What are some healthy snack foods that you love?
Lola Glass says
This article is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks!