Healthy 420 Munchies

Amid expanding legalization and access to cannabis, and the increasing diversity among American cannabis consumers, the stereotype that stoners’ favorite munchies are exclusively Cheetos and Taco Bell is starting to fade away. As common cooking ingredients are now being produced with infused options, a simple web search for “cannabis-infused recipes” will find enough recipes ranging in scope and size to fill an entirely infused grocery store. Even without infusement, more health-minded cannabis consumers are discovering the delectability behind healthy foods after consuming top-shelf products.

To help, we’ve gathered a collection of 420-friendly healthy munchies that are excellent as healthy infused options or stand alone as great snacks for when the munchies attack. As you’re prepping for 4/20, consider these dank delectables.

As mentioned, many of these can be made infused by various methods, such as infused butter or oil, distillate, or soluble cannabis preparations. If you do choose to infuse, keep in mind that the dosage is likely to be spread out over numerous bites as you snack, so it can be helpful to keep things low-potency per bite.

Broccoli and Hummus

Starting off the list of healthiest munchies for 4/20 is a dual appearance by arguably the most powerful green that isn’t located in the bowl of your bong, and the best form of a chickpea mash since falafel.

Broccoli, a superfood in every definition of the sense, is a perfect and immediately ready-to-eat member of the equally nutritious cruciferous vegetable family that pairs well with many types of dips. From ranch to baba ganoush to the aforementioned hummus, broccoli is an immensely healthy option for 4/20 munchies, both eaten raw, or possibly lightly roasted in the oven or air-fryer with a Mediterranean-focused seasoning such as Mrs. Dash. Not a fan of broccoli? You can sub in whatever item on the cruidité plate you prefer: carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery, etc.

Veggies and dip are a super easy and versatile option when it comes to healthy snacking. photo credit

As for which hummus pairs well with the strong and beneficial vegetable, there’s no correct way to answer that question. There’s an almost infinite number of hummus brands with flavors and ingredients that range; from traditional to fusions with other cuisines, to wondering what type of moonrock one must smoke to come up with a culinary atrocity such as chocolate dessert hummus?

Any store brand will manage, but as someone who eats a Mediterranean diet, I greatly prefer and recommend Tribe’s expansive choices of hummus that exceed far beyond classic hummus.

If you choose to infuse: simply drizzle infused olive oil over the hummus! 

Vegan Infused Rice Krispie Treats

A far healthier version of almost every 90’s kid’s favorite cereal turned snack cake, North Carolina-based vegan cooking site My Quiet Kitchen has made an infused, vegan take on Rice Krispie Treats. Made from only seven ingredients and sweetened with natural sweeteners such as maple and brown rice syrup, the site actually recommends Whole Foods’ 365 brand whole grain brown rice as the rice ingredient, so they don’t have nearly the caloric content of your standard version.  

This infused rice crispy treat recipe is just as tasty as its unhealthy counterpart, but with half the calories. photo credit

With only an 8x8 baking pan, a pot used to combine the syrups with whichever CBD or THC oil you plan to incorporate, making these treats is a simple matter of combining the rice cereal with an added interesting touch of coconut flakes, warming and mixing the syrups, putting it all together in a mixing bowl, laying it out in a pan, and finally finishing it off by refrigerating for about 15 minutes (details in the link above) Finally, My Quest Kitchen recommends drizzling the resulting 16 (on average) Rice Krispie Treats in a coconut butter and maple syrup mixture for the coconut flavor to truly stand out.

If you choose to infuse: cannabis oil or distillate is ideal, as it will mix easily with the syrups. When warming, you should be using very low heat, and thus, this should not affect THC or other cannabinoid levels.

Frozen Fruit

Fruit is among the healthiest of desserts that can be frozen. With far less sugar than traditional ice cream, and packed with more than enough vitamins and fiber to be considered a superfood ( regardless of its form) frozen fruit should be in the freezer of every health-conscious cannabis consumer.

Instead of going wild with your favorite flavor of Hershey’s Bar or Hostess snack cake, go wild with the frozen fruits you buy from the grocery store. Frozen grapes are particularly munchable in a way that might surprise you. However, virtually every grocery store has an array of frozen fruits available, such as the myrcene-containing mango or strawberries to unique tropical blends (hello there kiwi). You can go with a fruit salad preparation or dip them in yogurt, the options for delicious and fresh frozen fruits are really endless.

And if you happen to possess a sorbet maker at home, then whichever frozen fruit of your experimental choice could likely be turned into a sorbet, increasing the versatility for the queen of healthy desserts (though it will up the sugar content a bit).

It’s a perfect and ready-to-eat snack, whether eaten whole or in smoothies. And speaking of smoothies... 

Banana Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

As this is a list of healthy snack options, you knew an appearance from a smoothie of some variety was inevitable. And luckily, for consumers wanting a classical tasty smoothie, no kale is required.

Courtesy of Chef Averie with Averie Cooks, this perfect-for-summertime and banana strawberry and pineapple smoothie contains only three ingredients as the title suggests. By blending frozen banana chunks with frozen strawberries, the two fruits combine expertly with a base of pineapple juice (you know, the fruit shouldn’t be on pizza; even Chef Gordon Ramsay says so).

Smoothies are a great alternative to ice cream for when you are craving something sweet and creamy! photo credit

For a creamier texture, Chef Averie recommends letting the banana in the smoothie fully blend to that consistency for best results. And for consumers who may not be a particularly big fan of pineapple juice, the chef mentions that orange juice or another juice from a tropical fruit could be easily substituted.

If you choose to infuse: simply add an appropriate amount of whichever infused cannabis oil you choose. A bit of infused olive oil disappears well in the blend, but coconut oil works as well. CO2 oil may have difficulty mixing at a cold temperature, so best to start with just a little to test.

Healthy Chocolate Covered Bananas

A Newport Beach real estate developer named George Bluth Sr. once said “there’s always money in the banana stand.” Clearly, Mr. Bluth may have been speaking about this infused chocolate-dipped banana recipe, because it’s one so scrumptiously delectable, maybe even magical, that you’ll want to make them yourself to sell to your edible-loving friends (though please don’t without some sort of official license).

An original of Chef Emily from the health-focused site One Lovely Life and inspired by her family’s recent missed trips to Disneyland due to the ongoing pandemic, the recipe calls for only three ingredients: bananas, chocolate chips (dark chocolate for an added health kick) and a little coconut oil to make sure the melted chocolate is applied evenly. 

Satisfy your chocolate cravings guilt-free. photo credit

At this point, I would imagine an infused coconut oil would be a good addition, but the recipe looks more than delicious without infusion, so it’s your choice.

Even more festive, Chef Emily recommends a unique of mostly healthy toppings for your chocolate-covered bananas. From crushed frozen berries to crushed nuts to toasted coconut, the toppings can get creative. 

If you choose to infuse: coconut oil is surely the way to go, but if you’re adept at melting chocolate, you can buy an infused chocolate bar and use that too (again, watch for sugar content though).

While there’s nothing wrong with getting decadent with your 420-fare, overly fatty or sugary snacks can leave you feeling lethargic and may wind up making you lose a large part of your 4/20 holiday (or any cannabis celebration) to a nap on the couch. There are countless ways to enjoy cannabis, so remember to have fun and get creative. Have a happy, healthy and delicious 4/20!

What are you favorite healthy snacks for 4/20? Share your favorite recipes in the comments!

Photo Credit: PxHere (license)