Most of our favourite snack foods are high in calories, and not terribly nutritious AND, if you’ve eaten the maximum number of calories at your meal times, then your snack calories are excess calories, so you won’t lose weight very easily if you’re prone to snacking.
If you are a ‘snacker’, there are some ways that you can curb the calories, and still stave off the cravings. You just have to do it the right way.
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Scheduling your snacks ensures that they become PART of your diet, rather than a stumbling block.
Here are 5 diet-friendly snacks for those late-night munchies:
1. Yogurt and honey. A small bowl of full fat (unsweetened) yogurt topped with some honey is a good snack option, because it’s tasty and takes a long time to digest but is not too high in calories.
This means that you won’t get a rush of energy, and you also won’t end up with a ton of excess calories in your system while you sleep. It’s high in fat and contains some protein too, so you’re getting good nutrition, and the dairy side of things will probably help you sleep well – like a good old glass of warm milk does.
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2. Mixed nuts.A handful of mixed, raw, unsalted nuts is a great snack because it’s highly nutritious – high in fat (which raises your serotonin levels and relaxes you), protein and carbs.
It’s also a slow-digesting foodstuff, making for good before-bed eating. Added to all of this, it takes a bit of effort to eat, so you’ll feel like you had a snack, which is important if you don’t want to be wandering back to the kitchen for more. Just remember that nuts are very high in calories. So measure out your portion carefully.
3. Half a chicken sandwich.Half a chicken sandwich on healthy bread – like wholegrain or rye – is a great option. It’s high in protein, slow to digest, and contains lots of nutrients. Added to this, the chicken sandwich is going to fill you up, and make you feel like you’ve had an extra meal before bed, which is a great way to go to sleep.
4. Oatmeal. A small bowl of cooked oats, usually a breakfast food, can make a great snack before bed. It’s full of melatonin which helps you sleep, and the warmth and fibre can help you to feel comfortable, and wind down nicely. Enjoy it with a few nuts and honey on top for extra goodness.
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5. Peanut butter on banana. Peanut butter and banana is a classic combination of flavours. So why not try them together as a snack combo? The peanut butter will give you a good hit of fat that increases your serotonin level, and the banana gives you potassium and fibre to make you healthy and feel good. Sounds great!
The post The most diet-friendly snacks for those late-night ‘munchies’appeared first on All4Women.
