A Comprehensive Guide to Cooking with CBD Plus Recipes

If cooking is your passion and a way to lead a healthy lifestyle, here is your must-try number one. Add cannabidiol (CBD) to your food and reap the benefits of this nutritious supplement. In this post, you’ll find the definitive rules for cooking with CBD, as well as some simple recipes to get you started.

1. Why should you try cooking with CBD?

Here we will attempt to convince you why cooking with CBD is something that you should consider trying. Below, we have listed some of the benefits of infusing CBD into your food and drinks:

• According to several studies, CBD can have an influence on appetite. In a study conducted in 2012, CBD was shown to significantly reduce food intake compared to other cannabinoids. In another study conducted five years later, 23 children with Dravet syndrome — a type of epilepsy — were given up to 25 mg per kg of CBD. Appetite increased in some children, while it decreased in others.
• Various studies have reported that CBD may have an effect on insulin levels and possibly lower the risk of diabetes.
• Adding CBD to your meals can increase your intake of nutrients, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
• CBD may benefit your general well-being, possibly reducing anxiety, stress and pain as well as contributing to better sleep.
• CBD can help deal with numerous unpleasant symptoms of various diseases (cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, etc.).
• CBD is great with both sweet and savoury dishes and is compatible with different cuisines. Some CBD products have no taste or smell, so they can complement your meals without affecting the emotions you experience when eating your favourite foods.
• On the other hand, CBD ingredients can come in different flavours to enhance the taste of your meals and beverages.
• CBD can be incorporated into recipes in a variety of forms: from oils and extracts to water-soluble isolates and grinded flowers.

As you can see, adding CBD to your cooking process can offer several potential benefits. Now you might be wondering, what should I start with? What foods that incorporate CBD are easy to make? Well, don’t worry, because we have a few for you in this next part of the article.

2. Best meals to start with

If you are new to cooking with CBD, you may want to start with some easy meals. Before we begin, here are our suggestions for some delicious additions to your everyday dishes. You can kickstart your experience of cooking with CBD with:

• salad dressings and multi-purpose sauces;
• beverages (smoothies, coffees, teas and cocktails);
• baking (cookies, cakes and bread).

As you start to get comfortable with adding CBD to your daily meals, you can go ahead and add it into any of your favourite meals, whether it’s a delicious pasta or a French onion soup. Remember, it’s better to start with smaller doses and then increase them slightly if necessary.

3. Incorporating CBD into your meals

Different CBD products require different infusion techniques. For example, you can mix CBD oil or isolate with fats that can be incorporated into your daily meals (butter, oils, fat dairy products, creams, cheese, nuts, etc.). Also, check out some of our cannabutter recipes that will help you include CBD in your diet in a more natural way.

If you’re using CBD flowers, you should decarboxylate them beforehand to convert chemical compounds such as CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) or THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) into CBD and THC respectively. To do this, the grinded flowers must be heated in an oven at around 110-120 °C for 30 minutes. When done, mix the decarbed flowers with oil or fat ingredients as described above.

4. Advice on dosage per serving

While we have already talked about the importance of choosing the right dosage for you, we would like to expand on it here because the topic is essential. Overdosing on CBD can have serious consequences such as various side effects. Therefore, we have collected the most important advice that you should consider before adding CBD to your daily meals.

• For beginners, 15-30 mg is a good dosage, depending on body complexity and metabolism.
• The dosage can be gradually increased over time.
• Always check the recommendations on the product packaging. Remember to only buy from reputable manufacturers and also products that are third-party tested.
• Consult with a medical professional if you have any doubts or questions.

As a general rule, it is essential to put your safety first and remember that CBD is still a fairly new product on the international market. Therefore, it’s important to check the condition of your body as well as the state of the product you are using and even the manufacturer in general.

5. Definitive rules for cooking with CBD

So, what about the rules? Cooking with CBD is a process that requires control and strict adherence to the following rules that we have devised to help you.

1. Be careful with heat (extremely high heat can make the taste of CBD oil a little bitter. Also, when heating, you can trigger a chemical reaction and break down some of the compounds, which will make the oil less bioavailable).
2. Combine with fats for better absorption and no stomach upset.
3. Keep in mind that it takes a while for CBD to take effect. Do not take it again immediately, otherwise you risk overdosing and experiencing some of the more unpleasant side effects. You should wait at least 40 minutes to 2 hours.
4. Warn your friends and family before serving them meals with CBD, as it may infringe on their personal beliefs or religion. Also, if they espouse the use of CBD, they may have already consumed their daily dose earlier in the day.
5. Do not offer CBD to children, pregnant or breastfeeding women. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system (or ECS), which has a major influence on the immune system, mood, memory, brain activity, etc. Since the ECS goes through multiple stages of natural development at the beginning of our lives, a child (baby or fetus) is too fragile to have CBD introduced into their system, which can lead to negative consequences. Moreover, research on this subject is inadequate and very difficult to carry out due to various obstacles such as intense hormonal changes and the vulnerability of pregnant women and children. You can find more on this topic in one of our previous blog articles.
6. Be moderate when mixing CBD with alcohol. In fact, everything is better in moderation. The interaction between alcohol and CBD has not been well studied, and since both of them have an impact on brain activity, they shouldn’t be taken together often or in large quantities.

So, now that everything is ready and you’ve learned all the basic rules for cooking with CBD, it’s time to get started with some easy-to-make recipes.

6. CBD smoothie

This soft drink is a perfect solution for those who want to experience the delicious taste of sweet milk, yoghurt, fruit and berries, as well as the possible benefits of CBD.

Basic ingredients:

• CBD ingredient of your choice;
• ½ cup of coconut milk or yoghurt;
• 1 banana;
• ⅓ cup of berries;
• a pinch of cinnamon;
• 1 tsp. of chia seeds.

Directions:

1. Mix the chia seeds with milk or yoghurt and allow them to stand for about 15 to 30 minutes to expand. The seeds will enrich our smoothie with essential omega acids.
2. As soon as the seeds are ready, you can put all the ingredients in a blender or just gently mash everything with a fork.
3. If you’re used to smoothies with added sugar, try replacing it with honey. This versatile ingredient comes in so many unique flavours and can help you get a little bit closer to a sugar-free life.

We chose a berry smoothie not only because berries have scientifically proven antioxidant properties and are a great source of vitamins C and E. They are also among the foods that are high in fibre and therefore capable of producing cardioprotective effects. Try to prioritise local and seasonal berries or fruits, or opt for frozen ones that are easy to find and available in a variety of mixtures.

7. CBD salad dressing

Another CBD addition to your daily meals is delicious CBD salad dressing that can complement your salads at any time of the year. Unfortunately, the salad dressings you buy in the shops can sometimes be overly sweet or, worse, made with poor-quality ingredients. So why not make your own sauce, store it in a jar and enjoy it for a long time?

Basic ingredients:

• CBD ingredient of your choice;
• ⅕ cup of vinegar;
• a generous pinch of salt;
• 1 tsp. of mustard;
• 1 tsp. of honey;
• ⅓ cup or a mixture of oils or just the one you prefer most.

Directions:

1. Mix the ingredients until you have a smooth, fresh and delicious mixture.
2. Store in the refrigerator and use generously with fresh salads.
3. Put the dressing on the bottom of a bowl, then the salad, mix right before serving and voilà. This simple technique will help you retain a crispy yet juicy texture.

Salad dressings will not only make you love eating veggies during the day but will also help you stay healthier. To customise the dressing to your taste, you can change the ratio of the ingredients or add your favourite spices and herbs.

These are two CBD recipes that are quite easy to prepare. If you are interested in infusing CBD with other drinks or more complex foods, you can find plenty of interesting recipes in our blog articles.

8. Final thoughts

In this article, we’ve covered the ins and outs of cooking with CBD. Now that you know the basics, it’s time to explore new recipes and share them with your friends. We would be thrilled to hear about your CBD dish ideas. If you’d like to share them with the Marry Jane team, feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you!

9. Sources

1. An Update on Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol: A Review of Clinical Data and Relevant Animal Studies (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569602/)
2. CBD and Diabetes (https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/cbd-and-diabetes)
3. Reasons for cannabidiol use: a cross-sectional study of CBD users, focusing on self-perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep problems (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7893882/)
4. A Balanced Approach for Cannabidiol Use in Chronic Pain (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7204604/)
5. Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/)
6. CBD Oil (https://www.goosepondvet.com/news/cbd-oil-and-treatments)
7. CBD in Treating Cancer and Related Symptoms (https://www.verywellhealth.com/cbd-in-cancer-treatment-4801915)
8. About CBD for Epilepsy (https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-epilepsy)
9. Could CBD Help to Ease Parkinson’s Symptoms (https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2020/02/19/cannabidiol-cbd-benefits-symptom-management/)
10. How to Make CBD Butter? (https://marryjane.com/blog/how-to-make-cbd-butter/)
11. Berries: emerging impact on cardiovascular health (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068482/)