Do you sometimes get some hunger pangs close to bedtime? Wondering what would be good to eat and not sabotage your weight loss goals or healthy eating plan? Here is a video segment explaining a few snack options for just before bed:
The rule to follow about eating during evening hours is to eat your last meal MORE than 2 hours before going to bed. Digestion slows to a crawl as you sleep, and anything eaten soon before laying down does not effectively get digested. So your last meal of the day should be backed up to occur well before that 2 hour window.
But, if you should feel hungry just before bed, try drinking a glass of room temperature water to see if it quenches your hunger. If not, some healthy bed time snack options are:
2 cups of air popped pop corn (no butter!)
2 slices of natural cheese
a small apple and 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter
a few carrot sticks or celery stalks, dipped in hummus
4 ounces of cottage cheese
4 ounces of Greek yogurt (option: add a few blueberries or a bit of granola)
Each of these snacks should calm down the feelings of hunger, and should not impede your ability to fall asleep.
If you are eating six small meals a day as most nutritionists suggest (myself included!) then you should not feel hungry at bedtime, unless you had a hard workout or some other activity that revved up your system just before time to call it a night. If so, try one of the above options!
~ Doneane
Fitness Nutrition Consulting 