Trying to lose weight often comes with a lot of restrictions. One of the most upsetting is restricting evening or nighttime eating. You get cravings that hit you right before you go to bed, or when put on a movie or read a few pages of a good book.
Most diet plans restrict dinner or evening snacks so your your digestive system to take a break while you sleep and enable you actually to get rest. But going to bed hungry won’t help either. So here are the six best foods to snack on before bedtime:
Bananas
Often disregarded as diet food, due to its low-calorie intake, bananas are a perfect choice as an evening snack. They are packed with potassium, which helps nerve and muscle regeneration. A large banana also contains about 3.5 g of fiber, so eating one before you go to bed will help your digestive system in the morning as well.
Kiwi
For some, kiwi is an acquired taste. You need to get over the fuzzy cover as well. But it’s amazing for health benefits. It’s packed with antioxidants, which help reduce oxidative stress, one of the main causes of aging. You can also use two slices to set on your eyes to hydrate them before you go to bed. And the calorie intake is close to nothing.
Nuts
Full of fibers and healthy fats, a handful of nuts is also a great source of tryptophan. This amazing amino acid has the ability to convert to serotonin (the happiness hormone) and melatonin (the sleep hormone). These hormones will give you the ability to fall soundly asleep faster and reach REM state sooner, and for longer periods of time. This night snack will help you rest, so don’t shy away from it.
Warm Milk
We all know this stereotype. But it’s actually not a false one. Milk also contains tryptophan, and it helps you sleep better. Make sure to not spice it up with sugar or sweet cereals (thinking of a fiber boost), though. You don’t want to get a sugar spike, which will lead to a blood sugar crash during the night, disrupting your rest.
Honey
If you’re craving for something sweet before bed, adding a teaspoon of honey to a warm glass of milk can help. It calms you down, boosts antioxidants, and contains the aforementioned tryptophan all at the same time. Also, the sugar in honey breaks down slower, which helps you avoid a blood sugar crash during the night.
Lemon Tea
Most of us think of chamomile or linden as the best choice for tea before bed. And yes, those are great options. They can be quite dull, though. Lemon tea has the advantage of being tastier (and you know it), and you can drink it without any sugar, even if you have a sweet tooth. It calms you down and brings a Vitamin C boost, which will help cell regeneration while you sleep.
The list above contains just a few of the options you have for a bedtime snack. In time, you will develop your routine and figure out what works best for you and the lifestyle you have. Just remember to keep an open mind and let go of all the advertised restrictions. Common sense is usually your best friend, and it goes hand in hand with being informed. So keep it going! You got this!