Awesome Late-Night Snacks That Won’t Compromise Your Health

posted in: Fitness, Health, Nutrition | 0

You know, sometimes you just feel like having early dinner, but instead of going to bed, you discovered there’s this new movie you need to “quickly” see. The downside is that by the time the movie ends, your bowels are completely emptied and you begin to witness hunger in a new dimension. As expected, you decide to opt for a late-night snack, which isn’t a bad thing, unless your favorite combination includes high-calorie combinations like heavy scoops of peanut butter, grilled cheese and ice cream (yeah, I know — I like it too).

The problem with these kinds of snacks is that they contain high amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat, which, you’re more likely to store-up if you take them just before bed (since your body has no means of “burning” them while you’re asleep). What’s the implication? Well, you become fat! And fatness comes with tons of health risks.

Okay, what options do you then have, to quench that grilling late-night hunger and stay healthy? Well, here are a few:
1. Greek yogurt with Pomegranate seeds: The Greek yogurt is highly nutritious and healthy. It contains half the carbohydrate and twice the protein content of your regular yogurt and it is a particularly good choice, if you’re looking to lose some weight. When mixed with Pomegranate seeds, the health bonus rises to a whole new level, as pomegranate seeds are rich in antioxidants that eliminate free radicals in your system, keeping you perpetually healthy.

2. Pistachio nuts: This nut is highly rich in nutrients and is an excellent late-night snack. Apart from the fact that it offers more nuts per ounce, it actually encourages your weight loss program, while reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases at the same time. And of course, it digests readily, giving your system less work to do while you sleep.

3. Cherries: Yep! Those tiny red angels do you a whole lot of good when you’re about to hit the bed. Cherries contain melatonin, which enhances sleep by lowering your body temperature and inducing drowsiness. In short, you sleep more efficiently without exposing yourself to an excessively high level of calories.

4. Cottage cheese: If you’re a cheese lover, then this is definitely one way of enjoying it without predisposing yourself to health risks. Treating yourself to a nice bowl of cottage cheese, capped with berries, will give you a smooth night rest like no other. This is because cottage cheese contains slow-digesting proteins, which ensure that you don’t get hungry in the middle of the night, not to mention the calcium content which glides you to sleep easily.

5. Almonds: Almonds are excellent quick snacks that require no form of preparation. The nuts are rich in tryptophan, which is an amino acid that supports sleep. Almonds also contain magnesium, which helps your muscles to relax naturally, while you enjoy blissful dreams on your bed.

A Final Word…
Health is wealth! You may feel tempted once in a while to take heavy scoops of your favorite ice cream or peanut butter just before retiring to bed, but you must resist and stick to the healthier stuff. It will definitely save you a lot of headache later on.