5 Healthy Late-Night Snacks
We all know that we should avoid excessive snacking, but sometimes those late-night munchies hit and despite your best efforts, your stomach is rumbling. While you do not want to go overboard, you should listen to your body’s hunger cues and when the times comes, here are some healthy snacks you can reach for instead of relenting to the siren call of potato chips and ice cream.
1. Banana with almond butter: One small banana with a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter is only about 165 calories and this duo could even help you sleep. “One study in healthy men found a more than 4-fold increase in melatonin blood levels within two hours of eating two bananas. Bananas are one of the few fruits known to be relatively rich in the nerve messenger serotonin, some of which your body converts to melatonin. Almonds and almond butter supply some melatonin as well. Plus, they’re a good source of healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium.”
2. Kiwis: Feeling a little tropical? Two peeled kiwis only contain about 93 calories, and they can have up to 190% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Kiwis are also “one of few fruits containing a good amount of the nerve messenger serotonin, which has a relaxing effect and can help you fall asleep faster. Serotonin also helps curb carb cravings.”
3. Crackers and cheese: This one might sound like a bigger indulgence, but “from a sleep perspective, combining a carb-rich food like crackers with a good tryptophan source like cheese helps make tryptophan more available to your brain. This means that the compound can be used to make serotonin and melatonin, which aid sleep. A serving of 4 whole-wheat crackers (16 grams) and one stick of reduced-fat cheddar cheese (28 grams) is around 150 calories."
4. Pumpkin seeds: Not just for autumn, this delicious treat could be a winner when you are looking for something to curb those munchies late at night. Not only are pumpkin seeds rich in tryptophan, “eating some carbs like half an apple or some raisins together with pumpkin seeds encourages your body to route the tryptophan in the seeds to your brain to make melatonin.” Additionally, pumpkin seeds contain magnesium and “a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of pumpkin seeds has 146 calories.”
5. Tart cherries: In addition to containing small amounts of melatonin, “a few, small studies suggest that they may help you sleep better. What’s more, they have anti-inflammatory benefits and may offer protection against inflammation-related conditions.” Cherries can be enjoyed as a whole fruit or as a juice with “an 8-ounce (240-ml) glass of 100% tart cherry juice or one-third cup (40 grams) of dried tart cherries have around 140 calories.”[1]
What are our favorite healthy late-night snacks? Tag us on social media @therealbodepro and show us your favorite bedtime treats to enjoy before you wake up and power through your day with Verve!
[1] McCulloch, Marsha. “The 15 Best Healthy Late-Night Snacks.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 24 June 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-late-night-snacks#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2.