15. Night Snacks
Night eating may be the result of overly restricted daytime food intake, leading to ravenous hunger at night. It may also be caused by habit or boredom. However, night eating has also been linked to some eating disorders, including binge-eating disorder and night eating syndrome. Late-night snacks are a one-way ticket to weight gain, insomnia, and poor eating habits.
You can prevent this craving by eating healthier snacks before bedtime. This will aid you in managing your blood sugar levels and satisfy nighttime hunger. For example, a handful of nuts, hard-boiled eggs, low-fat cheese and whole-wheat crackers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, or cucumber slices will all provide you with a safe, nutritious, and tummy-filling snack before bed.
Overeating at night has been linked to irregular eating patterns that can often be categorised as a disordered eating structure. To help avoid this pattern of behaviour, you can take control by eating at planned intervals throughout the day in line with “normal” eating patterns that can help keep your blood sugar levels steady. A further tip to help manage your nighttime snacking, or prevent it completely, is to include protein in every meal throughout the day to help curb your hunger.
This way of eating can make you feel more satisfied throughout the day, stop you from being preoccupied with food, and help prevent snacking at night. Research suggests that eating frequent high-protein meals reduces cravings by 60% and cuts the desire to eat at night by half.
