Got The Munchies? Try These Healthier Alternatives

HEALTHY MUNCHIES ARE NOT A MYTH

While medical cannabis patients might welcome a case of the munchies just to give them the appetite to stomach a meal, for many ordinary decent stoners, the munchies can be a burden. OK, some will relish the excuse to go hog wild and eat junk food. However, the food you eat when the munchies strike doesn’t have to be unhealthy. It’s time to delve into some healthy dishes that are delicious alternatives.

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

Hamburgers are a go-to munchie. That late-night trip to the local burger joint for a greasy quarter pound of questionable meat is not a good idea. Always drenched in sauce and sandwiched between a doughy bun—sure, it might taste delicious in the moment. Sometimes it doesn’t even taste good, you just savage it because you're starving. Worse, it’s anything but nutritious and usually a meal to regret.

Grass-fed beef is a great alternative to this. Moreover, for the same price as a helping of fast food, you could eat well at home. That’s right, cattle that live on a green diet of grass and are not locked up on a factory farm produce the best beef.  

A thick, juicy steak or a healthy hamburger that you can prepare at home in minutes won’t destroy the environment or your diet. Of course, organic meat costs more per pound. But if you make the meal at home, it’s actually cheaper than a trip to McDonald's.

Add up the travel expense and cost of a crappy meal. Surprisingly, it’s actually more than a packet of high-quality supermarket beef. Anyone can grill a burger, and you’ll taste the difference when you eat grass-fed beef. If you turn into a carnivore when you have the munchies, eat the best meat, not just any old burger.

WHOLE FRUIT IS HEALTHIER THAN JUICE OR A SMOOTHIE

That healthy juice or smoothie is really not all that healthy and probably won’t fill you up unless you down a few litres. Fibrous fresh fruit is a far better alternative. Did you know a glass of orange juice contains more sugar than a can of coca cola? It’s true, fruit juice and smoothies are full of sugar, typically containing more than 10 teaspoons per serving.

When the fruit is blended, all that fructose is too much for your liver to process. So, it hangs around your body and turns into fat. Whole fruit is far more filling, and you really can’t consume anywhere close to the same amount of sugar in one sitting. Best of all, you don’t lose any of the beneficial antioxidants, fibre, or vitamins when you eat real fruit. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, a bowl of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and slices of watermelon will go down great when the munchies strike.

BREAD IS NOT NECESSARILY BAD FOR YOU

Bread has gotten a bad rap. Recently, 14,000-year-old toast has been discovered by archaeologists in northeastern Jordan. This suggests that bread may actually be part of the “Paleo diet”. It would appear that ancient hunter-gatherers were making and eating bread before the advent of agriculture.

Sandwiches are always a popular choice when munchies kick in, and you really don’t have to beat yourself up about eating bread. Now, we are not suggesting you start eating entire loaves of white bread. Whole grain bread is still better, and you really should go light on the dressings and avoid processed meats altogether.

There is a big difference between a healthy sandwich and an Elvis-style sandwich loaded with peanut butter, jam, and fried bananas. Try some lean chicken fillet with fresh lettuce, tomato, and a swipe of mayo instead.

THE SMART WAY TO SNACK ON CEREAL

A bowl of cereal is a tasty snack any time of day or night. Sugar and or chocolate-coated flakes are not a healthy choice. In fact, most breakfast cereals are really unhealthy because they contain so much sugar and artificial ingredients. But you are bound to find something healthy in the cereal aisle that you can work with. If you can’t resist a sweet bowl, try some muesli or non-frosted flakes and dope them up.

Instead of full-fat milk, you can add yoghurt or decent low-fat milk instead. And if you really crave some sugar, pour a little honey over that healthy muesli and it’s still not as bad for you as the sweetener-laced cereals. Alternatively, you can chop up some fruit and add a few slices to sweeten things up.

THE RIGHT KIND OF BARS TO CHEW ON

A Mars bar a day really won’t help you at all. Worst case scenario, devouring handfuls of candy on a regular basis could cost you a foot or at least a few toes later in life. Don’t believe me? Just ask my diabetic uncle with 8 toes. Swap the chocolate for a more filling protein bar instead. You don’t have to be a weightlifter to consume protein bars, and some really do taste great. They will satisfy your munchies and are a much better option than loading up on carbs and sugars that even a marathon runner couldn’t burn off.

By Top Shelf Grower