You may have heard that eating before bed is a big NO NO if you are looking to lose weight. In fact, you have probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to gain weight which is even worse!
Well, there's good news! Not every food that you eat past 7PM will be automatically deposited to your belly fat, thighs, and love handles. Late night snacking may not mean weight loss, but that doesn't mean it has to equal weight gain. Based on foods that will fill you up without filling you out, take a look at these late night snacks that won't make you gain weight.
Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release, which as I just mentioned is great for fat loss, making this a good pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure you're using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars. Add some cinnamon if you need to add some flavor to it.
Green Vegetables - While these aren't considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories (insignificant), are high in fibre, and they're very filling. Often times when I get a late night craving I eat a big bowl of green veggies and it completely kills my craving.. a diet savior to prevent you from giving in to junk foods late night!
Blueberries - Get yourself one cup of blueberries and snack away with only 80 calories and 4 grams of protein. With high water content and enough antioxidants to make your skin glow, blueberries will fill you up and hold off signs of aging. That's a win-win.
Raw, Unsalted Almond - Pick up a package of raw, unsalted almonds for a snack packed with protein and good for you fats. Stay away from anything roasted, salted or flavored to keep the integrity of the snack pure, and limit yourself to no more than about 15 almonds.
Celery - Have you ever heard that eating celery burns more calories than consuming it does? That's not untrue, and because they're made of mostly water and fibre, your body will think you're full quicker than eating something else. If you're not the biggest fan of celery, swipe on a thin layer of all natural, unsalted peanut butter to add some protein into the snack.
Carrots - Because they're fluid-dense (meaning they're great at making you feel full quickly), carrots are fantastic for not only keeping weight off, but also for losing weight. They're also packed with vitamins and antioxidants, so your skin will thank you for eating carrots. For an extra dose of flavor, dip carrots in hummus, another great snack that won't cause weight gain.
Plain, Low-Fat Yogurt - Yogurt is one of the best foods your body can eat, especially because it balances the bacteria in your gut and helps with digestion. For the best results, opt for plain, unsweetened, unflavored, low-fat yogurt. The flavorings can add up to a ton of sugar that will lay in your stomach at night, which can contribute to weight gain. Also, stick to low-fat instead of non-fat. When all of the natural fat is taken out of yogurt, other additives are put in to make it taste like regular yogurt, and those additives are not good for your body.
A Slow-digesting, Low-carb Protein Shake - I use a slow digesting protein shake before bed a lot of times. It's a great dessert alternative that's much lower in sugar and better for your body.
Hard Boiled Egg - Boil a batch of eggs one night and store them in your fridge for easy snacks throughout the week. Eggs are high in protein; good fats and they're low calories, so do yourself a favor and choose this over that handful of chips.
Dark Chocolate - Look for a chocolate made with at least 72% cacao. You'll get more antioxidants, a surprising amount of fibre and less sugar than its milky cousin.
Dry Figs - Limit yourself to three or four of these chewy, candy-like fruits. They're packed with fibre, which will ward off further snacking.
So there you have it. If you do find yourself up late at night and hungry, you can eat without harming your weight loss efforts.
