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Do you spend all day looking forward to your night time snacks? Do you fall into bed, with a bag of insert favorite food here and feel like the queen of the castle? Can you just not enjoy your show, or your book, without something to nosh on? We feel you. And you know what? A little night time snack can be a good thing. It can stabilize your blood sugar during the night, so you don’t wake up to hunger pangs. It can also make it so you don’t gorge on twelve donuts first thing in the morning. But, you do need to be careful about what you eat at night time since you are not going to burn that off. You are about to lay perfect still for eight hours (if you’re one of the lucky ones who gets eight hours of sleep). So here are night time snacks that won’t make you gain weight.
Berries
Berries are low in sugar, so they won’t cause a blood sugar spike that keeps you up, and they’re super low in calories. They also have fiber that can keep you full throughout the night.
Kefir smoothie
Kefir is a type of yogurt that not only is gentle on people who are sensitive to lactose, but has more protein than most. Blend some in with frozen berries for a refreshing late night treat.
Multi-grain tortilla chips
If you love to snack on chips at night, try multigrain tortilla chips with flax seeds. They boast tons of fiber that will stabilize your blood sugar during the night. Stick to just 10 or 12 chips with half an avocado of guacamole.
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Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt has less sugar and more protein than conventional yogurt, and you only need a little to fill you up.
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Feta quesadilla
Feta cheese is much lower in fat than cheddar or jack, but still boasts tons of protein. Put a little on a corn tortilla, fold it in half and brown it on the stove over medium heat.
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Banana “ice cream”
If you blend two frozen bananas they get super creamy like ice cream, with far less sugar. Plus the potassium will help prevent cramps during the night and the smell of bananas has a very calming effect.
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Multigrain pretzels
If you have a weakness for pretzels, try grabbing some multigrain pretzel thins. You won’t notice the difference, and they’ll contain less fat and more fiber.
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Rice crackers
Do you love crackers with jelly at night? Grab brown rice crackers since white crackers turn immediately into sugar. Spread low sugar jam on them.
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Popcorn
If you make healthy popcorn with just a little olive oil and sea salt, it’s very low in calories. It also takes a long time to eat, so it feels like you’re eating more than you are.
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Almond butter on toast
Almonds contain around half as many calories and fat as peanuts, but still have plenty of protein. Spread a little on whole grain toast at night.
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Dried fruit and cheese
Dried fruit–particularly figs or prunes–are high in fiber. Pair them with some skim cheese for a protein boost.
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Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate doesn’t have much sugar, so it won’t mess with your blood sugar at night, and it can help you relax.
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Pistachios
Pistachios take forever to eat, but that’s a good thing. You don’t have enough time in one night to overeat these. Plus they’re high in fiber.
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Cottage cheese
One cup of cottage cheese has just around 200 calories and 25 grams of protein.
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Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds contain loads of magnesium, which induces relaxation. They also boast 12 grams of fiber and protein per cup
