12 Healthy Bedtime Snacks: Eat Better, Sleep Better
These healthy bedtime snacks will help you eat better and sleep better. Regulate your blood sugar, feel satiated, and boost your sleep-inducing melatonin levels with these healthy late-night snack ideas.
Some people can go to bed on an empty stomach and happily sleep through the night, awakening refreshed in the morning. I would love to be one of them. Instead, if I go to bed hungry, I wake up in the middle of the night hangry and either lie there tossing and turning or end up nighttime snacking. This does nothing for my waistline.
A good night’s sleep is an essential ingredient for fitness and weight loss. No one feels like exercising after a night of disturbed sleep, and the willpower to make good, healthy eating choices evaporates when you’re tired.
The trick to bedtime snacking is a balancing act. Avoid sitting on the couch mindlessly eating high-calorie, sugar-laden snacks; instead, fill up on small portions of protein-rich foods with sleep-inducing minerals like calcium and magnesium. These quick and easy bedtime snack suggestions will help you sleep without ruining your diet.
Do Bedtime Snacks Cause Weight Gain?
The mantra when it comes to snacking is: eat only when you’re hungry and fill up on nutrient-dense foods. It’s when you’re eating out of boredom or tempted to eat something naughty but moreish that bedtime snacks can cause weight gain.
The occasional lapse is only being human, but if you’re constantly snacking on chips, cookies, and chocolate before bedtime, it will add up to a lot of excess calories. You’ll find yourself piling on the pounds and going to bed bloated, with high blood sugar making it hard to fall asleep.
Tips For Healthy Bedtime Snacking
1. Keep Portions Small And Easy To Digest.
A snack is not a meal. It’s a small portion of food: something light that’s easy to digest—enough to help you sleep and stop you waking up during the night feeling hungry. Choose lower glycemic index GI foods that won’t boost your blood sugar. Be aware that fruit often has a high sugar content and is best combined with low GI food, such as nut butters, to reduce the blood sugar impact.
2. Don’t Overeat
Stay mindful when you’re snacking at bedtime. Try not to snack when you’re scrolling through your phone or slumped in front of the TV. Instead, enjoy every mouthful but stop eating when you’re full.
3. Opt For High-Protein Snacks
You may know that eating protein, which supplies essential amino acids, will help you stay satiated for longer. But did you know that eating protein just before you go to bed may help boost muscle growth and reduce fat? It’s all down to your growth hormones. These are elevated when you sleep, so topping up your protein levels before bedtime helps you take advantage of this spike.
4. Know Your Sleep-Inducing Minerals
For better sleep at night, bedtime snacks rich in calcium and magnesium may be the answer. Calcium combined with the amino acid tryptophan is used by the body to manufacture the sleep-inducing substance melatonin. Magnesium regulates melatonin production, helping you avoid frequent nighttime awakenings, and can help to relax muscles – a big plus if you suffer from restless legs at night.
5. Include Snacks In Your Daily Calorie Count
If you’re following a calorie-controlled diet and aiming to lose weight, it’s important to include snacks in your total calorie count. Instead of your bedtime snack being extra food on top of your daily intake, reduce the portion sizes of your main meals to accommodate the extra snack calories. Just make sure your target daily calorie count is realistic. Aim too low and your metabolism flips into hibernation mode, making it extremely hard to lose weight. Slow and steady weight loss should always be your mantra.
12 Quick & Easy Bedtime Snacks For Weight Loss & Better Sleep
1. Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are a delicious, healthy meal or snack at any time of the day. Oats contain both protein and the essential amino acid tryptophan. Make with milk or a non-dairy plant milk fortified with calcium, and you have the perfect formula for a good night’s sleep. Sprinkle walnuts on top to boost your magnesium levels.
Try out these high-protein overnight oats recipes, but go easy on the portion size for your bedtime snack—a half portion should be sufficient.
2. A Handful Of Nuts
A simple handful of nuts makes an ideal bedtime snack. Nuts are a nutrient-rich source of healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including magnesium. Their protein and fiber content will keep you full and help manage your blood sugar levels. Almonds, cashews, walnuts, and Brazil nuts are the best sources of magnesium. Peanuts (classed officially as a legume because they grow underground) are another rich source of magnesium.
Nibble a few nuts before bedtime, but keep the quantities small. A one-ounce small handful is typically 160 calories.
3. Healthy Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Protein check, calcium check, magnesium check – this smoothie has everything you need for a good night’s sleep. It’s light on the stomach, satisfyingly filling, and absolutely delicious. This recipe makes one large glass or two small ones—drink a small glass at bedtime and save the remainder as a delicious treat for breakfast.
4. Scrambled Tofu
If you’re a fan of savoury bedtime snacks, give scrambled tofu a try. Tofu is a power food. It’s a complete plant-based protein source, rich in vitamins and minerals. Its calcium content is high, and tofu also contains magnesium.
Scrambled tofu may be better known as a breakfast dish, but it’s one of those dishes you can meal prep in advance and whip up quickly whenever you’re hungry. This is one of my favorite recipes.
5. Nut Butter Toast
Whole wheat toast is a go-to snack in this house. It’s full of fiber and a good carb source after a day of exercise. Spreading nut butter on your toast adds protein and boosts your magnesium intake. Choose your favorite nut butter, or opt for simple peanut butter—pure nut versions with no added sugars are best.
6. Greek Yogurt & Blueberries
A handful of blueberries and a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt, and you’ll go to bed with a smile on your face. Blueberries are a low-GI fruit and are packed full of antioxidants. Greek yogurt is a terrific source of calcium and protein. A perfect combination.
7. Popcorn
If you want to snack your way through a late-night movie, popcorn is your best bet. Stick to air-popped or stove-top popcorn, and avoid microwave popcorn bags, which often contain additives. Plain popcorn is low in calories, high in fiber, and a source of B vitamins and minerals, including magnesium. Just be warned: it’s easy to smother popcorn in butter, salty, or sugary toppings—that healthy snack can quickly become a high-calorie disaster zone.
8. Roasted Chickpeas
Instead of munching your way through chips or crackers when you want a late-night snack, reach for a bowl of roasted chickpeas. They’re easy to make and high in protein—I like to meal-prep a trayful at the start of the week.
9. Toast & Hummous
A slice of whole-wheat toast with hummus is high in protein, filling fiber, and a good source of magnesium. Just avoid any spicy toppings if you’re prone to heartburn, and you have a perfect, healthy bedtime snack to keep you full until breakfast.
10. Eggs
Eggs are powerful protein snacks you can eat at any time of the day. I always like to keep some hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for when hunger hits. Alternatively, scramble up a couple of eggs for a quick, healthy bedtime snack- go easy on the butter.
11. Tart Cherries
Tart cherries can improve sleep, enhance recovery, and help reduce inflammation. They’re a natural source of both melatonin and antioxidants. Try adding tart cherries to Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for a protein-packed bedtime snack.
10. Oatmeal with Cinnamon
This may sound like another breakfast dish, but oatmeal porridge is another favorite you can eat at any time of the day. You only need a small portion to fill you up, and sprinkling with cinnamon will help to manage blood sugar and reduce inflammation.
