I don’t necessarily say you should eat late at night. Most nutritional advice suggests not eating 3 hours before going to bed.
But, I realize I succumb to late night cravings every now and then. Maybe you do too.
If you have any guilt over opening the fridge at wee hours of the night, at least you can rest well knowing you are indulging in healthy-ish options, rather than a college fridge binge after a night of heavy drinking.
I researched the best healthy midnight snacks on reddit and this is what came up.
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and the top healthy bedtime snack is…..
1. Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
Topped with fresh or frozen berries
Wish it was more exciting but you know this is 2020 and Greek yogurt is all the rage.
2. Cereal or Granola Bowl
Topped with berries, maple syrup, cinnamon, or nuts.
3. Peanut Butter Powder
I have to say this one came up often on my research but I haven't tried PB powder. But, people seem to love it.
"Throw a splash of almond milk in with the PB powder and add pinch of salt to ramp up the peanut flavor. It’s almost like eating peanut butter + milk but low calorie"
Some suggested to mix plain nonfat greek yogurt with peanut powder and frozen blueberries.
4. Cheese & cottage cheese
Of course cheese had to make the list! Some say that the casein protein in the cheese helps you sleep because it's a slow-digesting dairy protein.
Some also liked to go fancy with a cheese and nut board.
5. Air-popped Popcorn
If you're looking for that crunchy, salty snack, this will really hit the spot. Air-popped is best.
I posted my all-time favorite popcorn popper below. Click to view. Without adding any oil, you can microwave plain kernels in 4 minutes and have a portable (and collapsible!) bowl to take with you.
*I do receive a small amount of the earnings from the purchase but it doesn't cost you any more than the price listed.
Summary
The consensus is that dairy will make you sleep better at night, though I know many people are lactose-intolerant or dairy-adverse.
My personal favorite is toast & jam late at night, but most people choose protein over carbs thus going for the yogurt, cheese or peanut butter.
It may not be a great habit to eat late at night, but if you must, at least have a glass of water first. You could just be thirsty.
Then, if you're still hungry- at least stock your fridge and pantry with some of these healthier options so it's easy to make a healthy choice when your willpower is low. That way you don't end up eating the other half of the cheesecake in the fridge- since it's not there!
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Runner-ups on the list:
- Apple slices and peanut butter
- Roasted seaweed- like thin sheets of salty kale chips
- Pickles (really?)
My favorite I want to try if I’m being bad:
- homemade chocolate banana soft serve
- frozen bananas, unsweetened coconut milk, and cocoa powder paired with crushed up Chips-ahoy cookies
What are your favorite healthy bedtime snacks?
Put it in the comments below!
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