Healthy Late Night Snacks
It’s late at night and your stomach is growling. Lying in bed with hunger pangs is not an option, but neither is a bad snack choice. Besides sabotaging valuable sleep, unhealthy food choices can lead to weight gain if your body stores the calories as fat.
Here are 10 suggestions for healthy late night snacks to curb your appetite. Convenient for late night urges, these foods are also easy to digest, low in calorie count and high in sleep rewards. Experiment with different combinations, but try to keep the calorie count below 300. Then, feel well and sleep better!
1. Bananas and sleep
Loaded with magnesium and potassium – and weighing in at about 100 calories each – bananas top the list. The vitamin and mineral content makes this fruit a perfect choice before bedtime.
The minerals that bananas provide ensure that you have the best chance of falling and staying asleep. Magnesium and potassium play an important role in muscle relaxation and the deactivation of adrenaline. In addition, a banana’s rich vitamin B content supports the production of the body’s natural sleep chemicals, including melatonin.
2. Almonds for sleep
Providing a substantial dose of protein and magnesium, almonds are very handy for healthy snacking. A serving size of 19 almonds should be enough to take the edge off hunger and comes in at only about 100 calories.
Almonds help supplement the body’s magnesium levels which are necessary for muscle relaxation and quality sleep. Enjoy a handful of raw almonds or serve up some almond butter on whole grain toast…and sleep well.
3. Walnuts and sleep
Walnuts provide a great source of the sleep hormone melatonin – along with heart-healthy omega-3 and other healthy nutrients. Watch your calorie count however, as about 14 walnut halves weigh in at 185 calories.
Recent studies have shown that the melatonin that is absorbed from eating walnuts also improves our resistance to the free radicals of many diseases. As our own natural production of melatonin wanes as we get older, snacking on walnuts makes for a logical choice.
4. Cherries and sleep
Cherries are a tasty natural source of melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone and antioxidant. The calorie count with cherries is only about 5 calories per cherry, so you can indulge in a few.
Melatonin in any form is great for sleep and building immune functions. When derived from a natural food such as a cherry, it is even more effective.
If fresh cherries are out of season, try some natural cherry juice, or even dried cherries. A study has shown that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day actually improved sleep in those suffering from insomnia.
5. Oatmeal for sleep
Easy to prepare, a satisfying bowl of oatmeal can enhance your night’s sleep. A typical serving runs about 150 to 200 calories (without any toppings).
As a complex carbohydrate, oatmeal triggers a rise in blood sugar. This in turn triggers insulin production and then the release of sleep-inducing chemicals. Oatmeal is rich in vitamin B6, an anti-stress vitamin, and melatonin. It also contains calcium, magnesium and potassium – all of which are sleep-promoting nutrients.
Try also some other complex carbs as well, including quinoa, barley and buckwheat. However, stay away from the sweet toppings!
6. Whole Wheat Toast – low cal for late night
Whole wheat toast is one of the simplest before-bedtime and midnight snacks – and one of the best. At only about 70 calories a slice, you can even spread a healthy layer of almond butter on top.
Whole wheat (also known as whole grain) toast provides the body with the most nutrient-rich parts of the grain. It is also a great source of dietary fiber. As a complex carbohydrate, it enhances the sleep process by promoting the body’s production of insulin.
7. Jasmine Rice – a perfect snack for sleep
Jasmine rice is a great sleep-inducing complex carbohydrate due to its glycemic index level. A quarter cup of rice makes three-quarters of a cup when cooked – and comes in at about 160 calories.
Ranking very high on the glycemic index, this particular white rice is digested slowly. Glucose is gradually released into the bloodstream producing large amounts of the sleep-enhancers tryptophan and serotonin. Studies have shown that jasmine rice actually cuts the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.
8. Milk and sleep
Warm milk has the reputation for being the perfect bedtime snack for insomniacs. That is, of course, if you are not lactose-intolerant. Milk’s calorie levels vary. For example, low fat milk has about 102 calories per cup, while whole milk is up to 146 calories.
Studies suggest that milk’s sleep-enhancing effects are more effective when combined with carbohydrate rich foods such as oatmeal or toast. The insulin that is released from eating complex carbs helps to send tryptophan – milk’s abundant amino acid – into the brain where it is processed into sleep hormones.
9. Sweet Potato for relaxing sleep
Sweet potatoes can mean sweet dreams. And no worries about the calories either. A medium sized spud with skin – which is around 5 ounces and 5 inches long – has about 100 calories.
Whether they be white, orange or purple, sweet potatoes contain an abundance of potassium. The complex carbs digest slowly while promoting sleep-enhancing hormones, and the potassium helps relax your muscles.
Bake three, eat one, and store the rest in an airtight container for more late night snacking. And don’t forget to try a sprinkle of cinnamon.
10. Popcorn as a healthy snack
Ideal for late night snacking, nonfat air-popped corn has only about 90 calories for a three cup serving.
Popcorn is yet another complex carbohydrate that stimulates the release of insulin to help produce sleep-enhancing hormones. Try sprinkling some cinnamon or paprika on top for flavor and for better health.
Check out some nonfat popcorn options below…