Do you find yourself feeling hungry late at night? While you may be tempted to make a hearty meal to curb your hunger, this is what you should not do. That’s not to say you should go to bed hungry either; hunger pains can easily keep you from sleeping soundly.
Instead, sleep health experts say you should reach for a light, healthy snack if you need to eat bed before. When your stomach is too full, this can cause you to experience uncomfortable indigestion that could keep you up as well.
We’ll walk you through some healthy bedtime snack ideas that are the perfect solution for any late-night cravings.
What to Have in Mind before Choosing the Snack?
When it comes to selecting the right bedtime snacks, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
The most important thing is to make sure that whatever you decide to eat is not too filling or heavy. As mentioned above, if you are too stuffed when you go to bed, this could cause you to feel uncomfortable and prevent you from sleeping well. Furthermore, if you don’t get good rest, this can affect how you feel the following day.
Secondly, it’s important to choose a snack that is relatively low in sugar and calories. A low-sugar and calorie food can help ensure that you don’t gain any weight by snacking on the wrong things before bedtime.
Finally, if you choose to eat while in bed, make sure your snack isn’t too messy. While you should periodically clean your bed, you also want to avoid unnecessary spills that could cause mold or mildew buildup.
Healthy Snacks Before Going to Bed
If you’re looking for a healthy snack to have before bed, the following ideas should help you get started. Don’t feel pressured to eat more than you need to curb your hunger; you can always finish your snack the following day.
Peanut Butter Balls
What You Need
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- ½ cup of honey
- 5 cups of quick-cooking oats
How to Make Them
- Mix the peanut butter and honey in a large bowl.
- Stir in the oats.
- Roll about two tablespoons worth of mixture into balls. Then place them on a plate or baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper.
- Put them in the refrigerator for at least an hour and then enjoy.
Greek Yogurt with Fruit
Greek yogurt with fruit is also a fantastic option for a late-night snack. Fruit is an excellent way to satisfy a sweet tooth while still having something healthy. Berries are usually a popular choice to mix with yogurt. For example, try mixing in some blueberries and strawberries for a delicious taste.
Furthermore, Greek yogurt is a great source of probiotics, which help aid your gut health.
Protein Ice Cream
If you enjoy munching on ice cream late at night but want something that is better for you, consider buying yourself some protein ice cream. As you may have guessed, this type of ice cream includes added protein.
The protein may come from milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, or plant-based protein concentrates. Additionally, many companies reduce the amount of sugar by including alternative sweeteners instead.
Eggs
One of the best snacks to have before bed is something that is high in protein and fiber. Eggs are a great high-protein snack. Plus, they take just minutes to cook and shouldn’t leave you full.
While you may normally have your eggs with toast, potatoes, or other breakfast staples, we advise just having the eggs on their own if you’re eating them at night. Eggs are also great because they are numerous ways to prepare them.
Protein Shake
A shake is another way to have a snack that’s protein-filled. Plus, you can customize the flavor to your liking. However, don’t confuse this with a smoothie, as those tend to focus more on fruits.
On the other hand, protein shakes typically focus more on flavors such as vanilla, peanut butter, chocolate, and banana or Rowdy Snickerdoodle Collage. To make one, all you have to do is add some protein powder to your favorite shake recipe.
Cottage Cheese with Fruit
Do you want a snack that takes just seconds to prepare? A small cup of cottage cheese and fruit is another great bedtime snack option. While the fruit provides something sweet, the cottage cheese offers other added benefits.
Cottage cheese contains lots of protein, along with other nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Also, like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese contain probiotics that are good for your gut health.
Popcorn
Popcorn is another great late-night snack that’s also perfect if you’re in the mood to watch a movie before bed. While it’s no secret that popcorn tastes delicious, not all types of this popular food are healthy for you.
Rather than reaching for the ‘Extra Butter’ line, you should aim to eat popcorn that is air-popped and only lightly seasoned. Popcorn is a whole grain and high-fiber snack. Therefore, when made right, popcorn can serve as a healthy snack.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal comes in different flavors, so you’ve got plenty of options to find something that sounds good to you. Plus, this is an easy-to-prepare food, so you won’t have to spend too much time and energy putting it together. Oatmeal has great benefits that include promoting healthy gut bacteria, lowering blood sugar, and providing antioxidants.
Simply grab a packet of your favorite instant oatmeal, put it in a bowl, and mix in some hot water. Then, stir the oatmeal well until it absorbs the water.
Protein Cheesecake
Don’t let the name fool you; even though this dish has ‘cheesecake’ in the title it can still be healthy for you. The trick is to know how to prepare it in the heathy way. Rather than following a traditional cheesecake recipe, include the following ingredients:
- 12oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
- 10oz Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 Whole Eggs
- 1-2 Tbsp Stevia
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 1.5 Scoops Whey Protein
- 1tsp Vanilla Extract
- Dash of Salt
Conclusion
If you find yourself always heading to the kitchen close to bedtime, you want to consider the kinds of foods you’re consuming. The recipes above offer nine healthy snack options that are good for you but aren’t so filling that you’ll feel uncomfortable.
When you eat too much before bed, it not only can lead to weight gain, but it can cause indigestion that keeps you up at night. As a result, this can affect both the quality and duration of your sleep. A light, healthy snack like the ones covered above provides the perfect solution for those bedtime cravings.