6 Late-Night Snack Ideas
Written by: Coach Slater
In an ideal world, you’ve tracked your macros for the day and found you’re a few short, so you’re looking for a late-night snack to finish off the day. In reality, you’re probably just hungry and purposely don’t keep cereal in the house because you know you’ll snack on it if it’s around (right?!), so you’re grazing for some food.
Don’t be fooled by the click-bait articles about “eating after 8pm adds 8% body fat”. No late-night snack is going to make or break your overall nutrition plan, and you shouldn’t demonize food anyway. Eating a sensible snack before bed is good for the soul sometimes, so here are some late-night snacks that I go to when I’m hungry.
Greek Yogurt & Fruit
Feels like eating ice cream, due its texture and smoothness, but without the added fat and sugar. Plus, it’s rich in probiotics for gut health. Choose a clean version like Siggi’s (ideally, the unflavored version), then throw in some low-glycemic fruit like chopped up pears or orange for some additional flavor and fiber. Hint: it’s also a good option for breakfast when combined with some oatmeal.
Almond Butter & Rice Cakes
Go creamy or crunchy depending on what you’re into, but the protein and fat will quickly make you feel full. Throw it on a Lundberg Organic Rice Cake for some additional flavor. Be careful, though… a little goes a long way with almond butter (or peanut butter). You only need a little bit on each cake. Don’t go thru half the jar in a single sitting.
Apple & Cheese
A perfect combo of sweet and savory. Recently, I’m a kick of Gala apples and Brie cheese. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, and rich. I eat it while reminding the dog that I don’t share and to stop staring at me.
Organic Pita Chips & Hummus
Simple and easy. A fine combo of carbs and protein. Look for a clean hummus, not one whose ingredient listing is 15 names long. Good, simple hummus basically only consists of chick peas or garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Short ingredient lists are typically a good way to go.
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
Combine some of the items mentioned above, like greek yogurt, almond butter, and frozen fruit, then toss in spinach or kale, with some slow-digesting casein protein, and you’ve got a great late-night smoothie.
Organic Dried Mangoes or Sweet Potato Chips
Dried fruit can be tricky as it often hides a lot of sugar, so double-check for that when selecting a brand. But, there are plenty of no-sugar-added options at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, like some “sweet & tangy” ones that I’ve found at one of those damn places but can’t remember for this article. Sue me!