So you did everything right today: ate nutritious meals, exercised for an hour before hitting the morning traffic to work, had a hearty apple for your afternoon snack, and consumed a well-balanced dinner. But before calling it a night, you find yourself snacking furiously on a generous serving of chocolate ice cream.
It’s hard not to treat yourself with a nice late night snack after a busy day. But before you open that bag of chips you’ve been eyeing, here are eight healthy, late-night snack alternatives you might want to try:
- Turkey Rollups – Roll deli-style turkey slices with low-fat cheese. Add some spiciness with a touch of salsa or Dijon mustard.
- Soup – A cup of warm soup can do wonders. Choose broth-based soups (i.e. chicken, minestrone or bean) and avoid the creamy ones.
- Cheese and Crackers – 5 or 6 whole-grain crackers with 1 to 1.5 ounces of cheese.
- Half a Sandwich – Scrambled eggs and tomato or peanut butter and jelly, with whole wheat bread.
- Low-fat Cottage Cheese and Fresh Fruit – 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese topped with your favorite fruit.
- English-Muffin Pizza – Top with tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons of shredded part-skim cheese.
- Cereal and milk – 1 cup of a whole-grain cereal with low-fat or fat-free milk.
- Dried Fruits and Nuts – Try a bag of nuts or a healthy serving of dried fruits while you watch TV.
If you don’t get all the recommended calories throughout the day, a late night snack may still be a part of your healthy eating regimen. But if you’re usually munching after a full day of eating, then the extra calories will add up and result to weight gain in the long run.
Before opening the pantry, ask yourself if you’re really hungry. If you’re snacking out of boredom, or plain habit, eat a healthy filling snack such as the ones suggested above. The best munchies contain starch and protein, plus vitamins and minerals, not just empty calories; adding protein keeps you feeling full longer than just starch alone.
Enjoy your midnight snacks!
Contact me if you’re interested in hiring me as a Personal Fitness Trainer. I serve the Colleyville, Southlake, Grapevine, Westlake, North Richland Hills, and Keller, Texas area.