Eating past 8 pm doesn’t have to be completely verboten, even if dieting rules claim it in an absolute way. In fact, there are some snacks you can have at night which help your body relax, fall asleep, and even give you some protein to help you build muscle while dreaming. Here are some of them.
It happens to me often: the cravings strike past the cut-off 8 pm time, after which I don’t want to eat anything anymore. But maybe I don’t have to listen to my stomach growl and my mouth water and if I keep obsessing about foods I cannot have, that’s it for my concentration!
In my research, I have found that there are snacks you can have at night which don’t perturb your sleep, pack on the inches of your waist or do any other evil things. There are even some low-glycemic carbs which can help you control your blood sugar the next day and help keep your appetite in check, like the ones in fruits!
5 snacks you can have at night
1. Dark chocolate
As long as you pick it wisely, with 70 percent cacao or greater, dark chocolate is an amazing ally for you! It doesn’t have added sugars like most chocolate bars out there. But it is very rich in antioxidants which lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity and improve your mood. Exactly the kind of ally you need when you’re preparing for Dream Land. Have a square or two and then go to sleep.
2. Pistachios
Pistachios still in the shell, bought raw and unsalted are the ideal snack! You can roast them yourself. Because you have to work to get them opened, you will eat them slower. The slower you eat, the fewer you actually eat. Win win win. Pistachios are loaded with fiber, biotin, vitamin B6, thiamin, folate, unsaturated fats and plant sterols. Not only are they healthy, they will also leave you satisfied. No more itching to open the fridge door at night!
3. Warm milk and honey
This one takes me back to my childhood, when my mother used to give me and my sister some milk and honey before bed. And guess what? This is one of those snacks you can have at night. Just fill half a glass with milk and add two tablespoons of honey to it. It gives the drink a nice, satisfying density which will keep you full. The natural sugars in honey can stimulate hormones that lead to the formation of serotonin. The path to relaxation is yours, then. And who doesn’t need relaxation in this day and age? Also, milk has something called tryptophan, which helps you have a sounder sleep. The effect is both psychological and physiological.
4. Peanut butter and cottage cheese
This combo is not only silky smooth and extremely tasty. It’s also got a secret weapon: a high dose of casein protein. It’s slowly digested, but it boosts recovery of your whole body while you sleep, if you consume it late at night. It provides your bloodstream with a slow and steady flow of amino acids that could last for hours. It helps improve your metabolic rate and another advantage not to gloss over: it helps build muscle mass. Over the night, but not in one night! The peanut butter is there for the flavor and for the healthy fats in it.
5. Pumpkin seeds
If cravings haunt your dreams and nightmares, then try to have some roasted pumpkin seeds before bed. One serving of seeds is one-quarter of a cup. They contain about half of your recommended daily intake of magnesium, which is responsible for your body relaxing. If you salt them after you roast them, you’ll get that salty kick you might need. So throw away the unhealthy, nasty bag of salty chips. And crack open the seeds. Like with pistachios, pumpkin seeds require a bit of work on your part, which assures that you eat slowly.
