Healthy Middle of the Night Snacks to Combat Cravings
It’s late at night, you’re lying in bed, and boom: a craving strikes. What you decide to do next can make a big difference in how you feel the next day. Learn why you get cravings and how to choose healthy snacks for late night cravings.
What Causes Late Night Cravings?
You may notice that sometimes you wake up at night with an intense craving, while other nights you drift right back to sleep. That can leave you wondering what causes late night cravings. The answer isn’t simple, as there are a variety of factors that can contribute to cravings.
Physiological Contributors to Cravings
Obviously, your metabolism is a big contributor to late night cravings. What you eat during the day is directly related to how often you experience cravings at night. To understand what causes cravings, it’s helpful to know how your body metabolizes different nutrients.
There are three main types of macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Carbohydrates and protein each contain 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram. Carbohydrates include simple sugars like glucose as well as more complex molecules like starches. Glucose is the primary molecule your body uses for energy, so getting at least some carbohydrates in your diet is important. Your stomach breaks these carbs down into glucose molecules that are more easily absorbed by cells. Your body steadily uses this stream of glucose to fuel everyday processes like cellular metabolism, brain activity, and physical exercise.
When you eat carbs, your pancreas releases the hormone insulin. Insulin travels through your blood, telling cells to pick up extra glucose molecules. Your body uses what it can and stores the rest of the glucose for use later on. Eating a lot of carbohydrates causes swings in your blood sugar levels. This is one of the main triggers for cravings: if your blood sugar drops, you may suddenly crave a specific type of food. Maintaining a steady blood sugar is one way to reduce the likelihood of late night cravings.
Time of day also plays a big role in your metabolism. Your body is best at metabolizing carbohydrates in the morning. Eating carbs later in the day can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash. This may leave you feeling starving several hours after eating dinner. Switching to low-carb recipes for dinner can be a good way to prevent this from happening.
Psychological Triggers
Another root cause of late night cravings is psychological. Cravings are different than simple hunger. Hunger pangs are your body’s way of telling you, “Hey, I haven’t eaten in a while. Can you help me out?” Cravings, on the other hand, feel different. They tend to be much more intense spikes and difficult to ignore. They are also often very specific. Hunger might tell you it’s time to eat, but a craving will say “I need to eat chocolate mint ice cream and, right now!” This suggests that the psychological features of cravings differ from typical hunger.
One large psychological component of cravings is a feeling of deprivation. It’s important to create a diet plan that includes healthy choices as well as occasional indulgence. Restricting your food intake to only include healthy foods will make those unhealthy choices (desserts, burgers, salty snacks) feel like forbidden fruit. There is a reason that cravings typically focus on high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods. They taste good, and they are foods that many people restrict themselves from eating. Eliminating that feeling of deprivation is a smart way to reduce intense food cravings.
Another psychological component of cravings is your setting. Late night snacking often occurs when you’re awake and doing something mindless. All of a sudden, grabbing a handful of candy or potato chips sounds like a good idea. Boredom plays a big role in food choices. Basically, when you’re bored, your brain has gone too long without getting a reward. It craves the next hit of dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for the “feel good” sensation. Eating snack food is a way for your brain to get a tiny hit of dopamine.
Fatigue is another psychological contributor to cravings. This is related to the concept of cognitive control. Essentially, your brain only has so much mental energy to devote to staying firm in your resolve to eat healthy foods. Fatigue zaps that mental energy, making it easier for you to slip up in your diet plan. Having trouble falling asleep or feeling exhausted are perfect triggers for your brain to start craving unhealthy foods.
Finally, late night snacking is self-reinforcing. Your brain is great at recognizing patterns. Every time you have a late night snack, you’re subconsciously taking notes about the time of day, where you are, and what else is going on around you. The next time you’re in the same situation -- ping! Your brain may send you an “I’m hungry” signal.
Should I Eat If I’m Hungry At Night?
So, what are you supposed to do if a late night craving strikes? The first thing to do is to ask yourself, “Am I actually hungry, or am I bored or tired?” If the answer is that you’re bored, or you can’t sleep, or you had a bad dream and want some comfort food, look for other ways to occupy your mind other than a midnight snack. Read a book, play some relaxing music, or practice meditation. Depression and anxiety can also be triggers for late night snacks. Always check in with yourself before deciding to act on your cravings. Typically, a mood- or boredom-induced craving will pass within a few minutes if you distract yourself or acknowledge the source of the craving.
If you’re actually hungry, it is also helpful to gauge how intense your hunger is. A passing hunger in the middle of the night can probably be safely ignored. If your hunger is intense or not going away, however, it’s time to find healthy snack options.
Best Healthy Snacks for Late Night Cravings
When choosing late night snacks, it’s important to consider macronutrients. As discussed above, eating carbohydrates causes your blood sugar to fluctuate. Furthermore, because your body does not metabolize carbohydrates well in the evening, any excess glucose tends to be stored as fat. This is doubly true for people over 50, who are prone to putting on fat.
Instead of carbohydrates, choose a snack high in proteins or fats. When you eat protein, your stomach breaks them down into their building blocks, called amino acids. Amino acids are used to build new proteins, including muscle fibers, neurotransmitters in the brain, or cellular structures. Finally, fat metabolism is important for protecting your organs, keeping your body warm, and promoting absorption of nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Even though each gram of fat contains more calories than carbohydrates or protein, you need fat to survive.
Not only do snacks high in protein tend to be more heart healthy than carbohydrate-laden treats, but they also increase feelings of fullness. Eating fat-rich snacks also increases satiety. However, it is important to choose foods that contain healthy fats. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are heart healthy, whereas saturated and trans fats increase risk of heart disease. Being mindful of these guidelines for healthy eating for seniors will put you on the right track. Consider the following late night snack ideas to get started.
Sweet Snacks
If you’re craving something sweet, it can be tempting to tuck into the nearest bowl of ice cream or to raid the cookie jar. However, it is possible to indulge a sweet tooth without overloading on simple carbohydrates that will cause your blood sugar to spike. When you can, choose a complex carbohydrate instead. This means a food that contains whole grains, which your body breaks down more slowly than simple carbohydrates.
A whole piece of fruit. Whole fruits naturally contain glucose that will satisfy your craving for sweets, but they are also high in fiber. This is important, because fiber changes how your body metabolizes glucose. It can slow absorption, preventing swings in blood sugar. Raspberries, apples, strawberries, pears, mangos, and passionfruit are good sources of fiber and minerals.
Whole grain cereal with milk. A whole-grain cereal is a good source of complex carbohydrates, and the milk adds protein to keep you feeling full.
A serving of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of agave nectar. Greek yogurt contains 15 to 20 grams of protein per serving. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that won’t increase your blood sugar like sugar or honey.
Apple with peanut butter or almond butter. A classic snack, a sliced apple with peanut butter gives you the natural sweetness of fruit with protein from a nut butter.
Cottage cheese with a peach. Again, cottage cheese offers a good source of protein, while the peach brings natural sweetness with plenty of fiber to prevent blood sugar swings.
Pear with cheese. Sweet pairs go perfectly with a strong cheese, such as a blue or goat cheese.
Banana oatmeal cookie. These make-ahead treats are the perfect late-night eat. Mix a mashed banana with 1 cup of rolled oats and a sprinkle of cacao nibs (chocolate without excess sweetener). Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes for a fiber and antioxidant-rich treat.
Savory Snacks
Veggies with hummus. Made from chickpeas, hummus is the perfect protein-rich plant-based snack. Pair it with carrots or celery for a tasty late night snack.
A handful of nuts. Nuts are a fantastic late night snack, because they contain protein and heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Grab a small handful of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or another favorite nut to stave off hunger.
Tuna and whole-grain crackers. Whole-grain crackers contain complex carbohydrates, while tuna is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Small cup of edamame. Edamame (soybeans) are nutritional powerhouses, containing high amounts of protein. Eat them plain or with a bit of soy sauce for additional flavor.
Hard-boiled egg. Eggs are the perfect, simple snack. Each one contains over 7 grams of protein, heart healthy unsaturated fats, and important vitamins.
If you frequently find yourself waking at night with intense cravings, something else might be out of balance with your body. Serious cravings can be a sign that you’re not getting appropriate nutrients during the day. Mighty Health is an over 50 health app that gives you the expertise of an online health coach who can offer personalized recommendations. It’s a popular health app for 50 year olds and beyond. Check it out to see how it can help you curb late night cravings and get on the path to healthy aging.