Late night snack: The foods you should and shouldn’t be eating before bed

It’s not unusual to get the post-dinner munchies or experience a grumbling tummy right before climbing into bed, but there’s more to curbing cravings than simply ignoring them. In fact, you could instead be enjoying a healthy snack that’s light on your stomach without impacting your sleeping pattern!

Thankfully, the experts have already done all the hard work for those who love to feast before bed, including Australian nutritionist Jess Sepel who listed her favourite late night snacks that will fill you up, without leaving you feeling sick or kicking you into an unwanted sugar rush, on her website.

Foods to eat

Greek yoghurt and berries

This choice has everything you could want, protein, calcium, probiotic strains and antioxidants. Not only will it leave you feeling full and satisfied right before heading to sleep, but it’s also brilliant for gut health and overall nutrition.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is the best when sweet cravings hit late at night. It’s a rich source of magnesium so it can actually improve sleep and help with relaxation unlike its other sweeter counterparts like milk and white chocolate. It’s also a great way to indulge without putting your body through too much before bed.

Protein bliss balls

There’s so much to love about these small snacks. Firstly, even though they’re small, they’re still somehow incredibly filling, secondly they’re easy to make at home and lastly they’re chock-a-block full of protein! Add in some nut butter for a hit of quality fat and enjoy!

Almond butter-filled dates

These might sound a bit out of the blue, but Sepel swears by them. She says they’re super sweet while the addition of nut butter fills you up quickly to stop you feeling like you can’t control your snacking.

Nice cream

This homemade version of ice cream is quick and easy but still super healthy. Just whizz together any kind of fruit with some plant-based milk and top with some muesli for something extra. It’s creamy and delicious without all the bad stuff!

Foods to avoid

Alcohol

This is an obvious one but can be hard to avoid if you like to enjoy a drink after dinner. But even though it’s known to make you sleepy, drinking alcohol before bed stops you from falling into a deep sleep and feeling fully rested the next morning.

Cheese

Whilst you can keep your cheddar and soft cheeses, hard cheese contains high levels of the amino acid tyramine which actually makes the brain more alert. So as much as you’re craving a post-dinner wine and cheese board, it’s probably best to avoid all together.

Fatty foods

Ingesting too many fatty foods right before bed will only hurt you in the long run. Fatty foods are hard to digest and are much more likely to cause heartburn which makes it more difficult to get yourself into a comfortable, well-rested sleep.