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If you find yourself reaching for late night snacks, try to make them a little bit healthier. Here’s the list of 10 healthy late night snack ideas.
It’s midnight and you’re standing in your pajamas in the kitchen. The refrigerator light highlights all the foods you shouldn’t eat before bed. You’re not even supposed to eat at night, right?
Wrong!
There are tons of healthy night snacks you can eat around bedtime. You likely know how hard it is to fall asleep with a grumbling stomach. Quench your cravings with healthy options.
Not sure which snacks to indulge in and which to avoid? Keep reading for 10 healthy bedtime snacks.
1. Bedtime Bites
There’s nothing like a sweet ball of chocolatey goodness to help you drift off to sleep. Especially when its sweetness comes from natural sources and not unhealthy ones.
Consider making a custom batch of bedtime bites in advance. You can store them in your freezer and take one out whenever you’re feeling peckish.
The main ingredients in bites are peanut butter, dates, and oatmeal. Besides those three, you can add whatever you like. For example, shredded coconut, chia seeds, flax seeds, or even chocolate chips.
These can be your healthy replacement for chocolate chip cookies. The trick is to only eat one or two before bed to maintain healthy portions.
2. Yogurt with Fruit
Yogurt is a magical bedtime snack. Not only is it delicious and versatile, but it contains calcium. Your body depends on calcium to produce the sleep hormone melatonin.
Get your fill of calcium and protein in your late-night snack. A yogurt parfait makes the perfect snack.
Start with a base of half a cup of plain Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt contains casein, a protein that helps keep you fuller longer.
Add strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. Sprinkle with almond slivers or pumpkin seeds.
3. Hummus with Crackers
Craving something a little heartier? Break out the hummus and crackers for a satisfying late-night snack.
Hummus is one of those dips that you can eat guilt-free whenever you want. It contains plant-based protein and tons of magnesium.
We need magnesium to balance our GABA levels. GABA is a neurotransmitter that affects our ability to sleep.
Tonight, when you’re craving a snack, drop a few scoops of hummus into a bowl. Dip whole grain crackers in it, or your favorite veggies.
4. Roasted Chickpeas
The base of the healthy snack above, hummus, is chickpeas. This superstar food comes with numerous sleep benefits.
Besides balancing GABA, chickpeas have a significant amount of vitamin B6. B6 is crucial for serotonin production, which if you’re low in, can cause insomnia.
To create a savory and delicious snack, roast some chickpeas on a baking sheet. Set the oven to 350 degrees and toss the chickpeas in a salt, pepper, and chili powder mixture.
When they’re brown and crispy, after about 40 minutes, take them out. These can be made in batches in advance so you can just grab a handful before bed.
5. Trail Mix
This snack is not only great before bed, but it’s satisfying at any time of day. For a snack at work, on the way to the gym, or during study time.
You can put whatever nuts and seeds you like in your trail mix. Consider going to a bulk food store to customize your mix.
Some recommended ingredients to help you sleep are pumpkin seeds and almonds. Dried cranberries and goji berries are great, too.
In fact, goji berries contain melatonin, the sleep hormone. A handful of trail mix as a night snack and you’ll be ready for bed.
6. Mini Charcuterie Plate
Sometimes, we all feel like treating ourselves like the queens we are. What could be more luxurious than a fancy charcuterie board?
You can make yourself a late-night snack out of charcuterie ingredients.
Pull your favorite cheese out of the fridge and cut a couple of slices of each. Pluck some grapes from the vine and add them to the plate. Then, roll some sandwich meat to put on the side.
If you have gourmet meats and cheese, awesome! If not, make a charcuterie out of what you have and feel as bougie as Beyonce.
7. Tart Cherries
Cherries have plenty of health benefits, especially when it comes to sleep. Not only do they contain melatonin, but they’re anti-inflammatory.
Tart cherries can help to prevent heart disease and arthritis.
You can eat them fresh or drink their juice. Some even prefer to eat dried tart cherries. The nutritional values vary in each form, but they’re all healthy overall.
8. Banana with Almond Butter
Bananas are the quickest and easiest snack to grab on the go. Or, to grab when you’re tired and want to sleep but your tummy is yelling at you.
To step up your snack game, add a side of almond butter to your banana. You can spread it on sliced banana pieces with a butter knife.
Both bananas and almond butter contain melatonin. They both also have magnesium, omega-3s, and vitamin E.
9. Hard Boiled Eggs
If you want to stay full until morning, eat an egg before bed. One hard-boiled egg has 6 grams of protein, sure to keep your full for hours.
Plus, a large egg only has 72 calories. You won’t throw off your diet or feel guilty after snacking on one.
Hard-boiled eggs last for a few days in the fridge. Make 3-4 in advance so they’re easy to grab in a rush.
10. Chicken Wrap
This last late-night snack takes a little preparation, but it’s delicious.
Start with a whole grain tortilla. Spread some hummus on it and add some sliced cheese. If you have leftover barbecued chicken from dinner, add some.
You can also sprinkle nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Basically, this snack is the culmination of anything you have in your kitchen. But, it’s still healthy.
Want More Ideas of Healthy Night Snacks?
The healthy night snacks listed above all help with your ability to fall asleep. Since you’re eating them before bed, you don’t want to be kept up for hours.
You want to quench your hunger with healthy and delicious options.
One way to make late night snack prep easier is with meal prepping. Read our beginner’s guide to meal prepping to learn more!
