Are you working late at night or Are you feeling hungry at late night? Can you not understand what to eat at night when hungry? If all are yes then choosing the late-night snacks wisely. Choose the best foods to eat at night or else it will create the problem of indigestion or unwanted increase in the waistline.
It’s sometimes natural if you had a tight evening schedule and can’t manage time to have evening snacks. Your growling stomach won’t let you sleep until you have some food. The challenge lays to choose and pick up food which is tasty and healthy as well.
You need to be choosy to pick up the food that won’t make you fat. An increase in body weight is not at all desirable. According to several scientific research results, it is stated that late-night snacks or food easily increase body weight and make you fat.
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Top 7 best foods to eat at night as healthy snacks
If you are feeling hungry and can’t bear hunger, have only two calorie-rich foods late at night. That would be more than sufficient to fulfill your hunger. There are Several healthy late-night snack options are available which can fill your tummy and give sound sleep at night. Here are a few tips for the best foods to eat at night.
1. Almond butter and banana
The combination of almond butter and banana can be healthy late-night snacks for the night hunger.
You can have a small banana with 16 grams of almond butter. This combination will trigger a better sleeping. In a couple of studies, it is considered as best foods for sleep at night.
According to scientific studies, the level of melatonin increases in blood two hours after the consumption of 2 small bananas.
Bananas are enriched with serotonin, the nerve messenger. That converts into melatonin. Almond butter is also a rich source of melatonin. Other than melatonin, almond butter and almonds provide a good quantity of magnesium, healthy fats, and Vitamin E.
Magnesium enhances magnesium production and enhances a better-quality sleep at night. This midnight meal adds only 165 calories.
2. Tart cherries
Tart cherries are a night sleep booster. Other than this benefit, this has anti-inflammatory effects. This characteristic might protect against cardiac complications and arthritis.
According to the study, a few elderly people add 240 ml pure juice of tart cherries to their breakfast menu and as a night drink.
It is found after two weeks that the people who had pure cherry juice slept more than the people didn’t have the cherry juice.
Melatonin is a sleep-enhancing hormone. Tart cherries contain melatonin in a smaller amount. Phytochemical procyanidin (B2) helps to protect the amino-acid-tryptophan within the blood-stream.
That helps to produce melatonin within the body. Phytochemical procyanidin (B2) is an important content of tart cherries.
240 ml of pure tart cherry juice and 40 grams of tart cherries (dried) contain 140 calories. These late-night snacks will give you a continuous and sound sleep at night.
3. Pistachios
These nuts are enriched with melatonin, a sleep-enhancing food. Though every edible plant product contains melatonin, the amount in pistachio is considerably more than others.
28 grams of pistachios (shelled) contain six and a half milligrams of melatonin and 160 calories. To have a better sleep 0.5 mg to 5 mg is sufficient. Whereas, a handful of pistachio contains 6.5 mg melatonin.
4. Kiwis
The kiwis are suggested to have regular meet the daily requirement of Vitamin C. Kiwis is loaded with fibers, vitamin C, and calories. This is extremely figure-friendly food.
2 kiwis contain hundred-ninety percent of RDI of Vitamin C, five-grams fibers, and 93 calories. A study was held on a few people who were suffering from sleeping difficulties.
They took 2 kiwis before going to bed daily. The time table was strictly maintained to record the sleeping pattern of them.
After a month, it was found that people were having 5 percent better and 23 percent longer sleep than before. They look 35 percent less time in falling asleep.
Serotonin is one of the contents of kiwi. This nervous messenger helps to relax the body and mind and helps in sleeping. These fruits help to curb the appetite and thus maintain the better shape of our bodies and keep you stay fit and healthy.
5. Goji berries
These reddish-orange colored berries are good sources of antioxidants. These contain carotenoids as well. This also contains melatonin and helps in promoting sleep. A study was held to understand the impact of goji berries on sleep.
After the study period, it was found that people who took 120 ml pure juice goji berries, had better sleeping quality.
Eighty percent of them were happy to have such deep sleep and 70 percent of them could get up easily in the morning. Fifty percent of them were feeling energetic throughout the day.
40 grams of goji berries (dried) have 150 calories. The food value can be increased by adding cereals and raisins to the night snacks of goji berries.
6. Protein smoothies
If you are having the protein smoothies daily, you need not worry about the muscle losses due to increased age. The people who exercise regularly, they essentially need protein-rich foods. The regular intake of protein before bed helps to repair the body muscles.
Smoothies are good in taste and easier to make. These protein-enriched night snacks are extremely beneficial to our health.
You can add 240 ml of milk (low-fat) and a hundred and ten grams of pineapple (frozen) and blend them into a smooth mixture.
Milk is loaded with tryptophan. Our bodies this tryptophan to produce melatonin and serotonin that induce sleep.
Adding pineapple in the smoothie increase the melatonin level. By taking that smoothie, an individual can experience continuous and better-quality sleep. This is considered as one of the best foods for sleep.
7. Hot cereals
You are hungry at night but can not take food due to the fear of increasing weight. Then definitely this is for you. You can try some healthy low carb late-night snacks when feels hunger. You have to wisely choose a few best foods to eat at night which will fill your stomach and at the same time manage your weight also.
We always consider the cereals as a healthy breakfast. This is also a good and healthy late-night snack. The whole grain and hot cereal such as oatmeal is an enriched source of fibers.
They are always a better option than refined and cold products. You can have a late-night food by mixing whole-grain rice or cooked barley with hot cereals. Add milk to that mix with a topping of dry fruits, nuts, and cinnamon. You can try some superfoods along with this.
If you have a problem with lactose intolerance then you can try remedies for lactose intolerance.
This fulfills the late-night growling of your stomach. Rice, oatmeal, and barley are considered as enriched melatonin sources.
175-grams of oatmeal cooked with water contains 124 calories (approx.). the topping of raisins (7 grams) further add twenty-seven calories.
Conclusion
If you can’t manage your stomach to growl at late at night, don’t get stressed or bored. You can prepare a list of the few best foods to eat at night and make them available with you at night. Keep in mind chose the night snacks with a calorie of 200 or less than that. This will not make you obese or hamper your body shape.
Little processed or fresh foods like goji berries, pistachios, oatmeal, kiwis, tart berries are healthier and easy options to fulfill your late light hunger. They contain sleep-boosting components such as melatonin, serotonin, tryptophan, and magnesium.
One thing you keep in mind, do not to fulfill your late-night hunger with high-calorie food. It is not a good habit to take heavy and high-calorie foods before bedtime especially at night. This will increase body weight. Have easier options for low carb snacks if you feel hunger at late night.