It’s difficult trying to fall to sleep when you’re hungry. We’ve all been there – you thought you’d get an early night but it’s 00:10 and you’re tempted to raid the kitchen cupboard.
Well, instead of opting for a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar, there are plenty of healthy options that you can eat guilt-free – and some may even improve the quality of your sleep.
Read on for five healthy midnight snack ideas that you don’t need to feel guilty about. For quick snacks for the day, click here.
Nuts
It can feel like a tedious task preparing a meal at the best of times, but it can feel like even more of a chore after 11pm.
Thankfully, nuts are an easy food to eat – you simply have to grab a handful of nuts and you’re good to go.
However, try to stick to just a handful of nuts rather than the whole bag, as depending on the nut mix, you’ll be consuming around 200 calories per quarter of a cup.
There are countless health benefits to nuts – they’re rich in antioxidants that can protect your body, they’re full of fibre which is great for your gut, and they’re even good for your heart.
Some nuts (almonds and walnuts) even contain melatonin which can help to regulate sleep!
Whether you prefer almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, brazil nuts or macadamias, nuts can make a brilliant and healthy no-fuss midnight snack.
Popcorn
If you’re in the mood for a light snack, popcorn may be just the thing for you. Although quite addictive, popcorn is naturally low in calories – so you can have around three guilt-free cups to quell your late-night craving for under 150 calories.
One of the best things about popcorn is how versatile it is – you can easily prepare sweet popcorn, savoury popcorn, and both in a matter of minutes.
If you fancy a sweeter bowl of popcorn, you could always add a small amount of butter and sugar to give you that sugar kick, or a sprinkle of cinnamon and honey.
Another sweet idea that’s sure to fill you up is adding peanut butter to your popcorn.
However, savoury popcorn options are generally healthier – so why not add spices to the mix for a bowl of spicy popcorn?
You could add garlic and chilli with lime juice, salt and pepper, or even curry powder for a curry-style bowl of popcorn.
Bananas and Peanut Butter
If you simply can’t be bothered to prepare a meal and then wash up afterwards, you could simply stick a banana into a jar of peanut butter for a sweet and healthy snack.
Bananas are full of potassium, which can help your muscles relax. This is exactly what you need when you’re trying to sleep – and the healthy fats in peanut butter will satisfy your sweet tooth until the morning.
If you have a spare few minutes, why not make healthy ice cream out of the two ingredients?
Make the most out of your brown bananas by freezing them and then mixing them with some peanut butter – so you’re left with a refreshing ice cream treat.
Avocado on Toast
Another healthy late evening snack option is avocado on toast. Avocado is a fruit that has the perfect balance of healthy fats, fibre, and potassium.
You may associate bananas with potassium, but did you know that avocados contain more potassium than bananas?
A simple serving of avocado on toast contains just 157 calories, making it a brilliant midnight snack. It’s also pretty filling, so is sure to settle any cravings allowing you to sleep through the night peacefully.
Roasted Chickpeas
Another quick and easy midnight snack idea that won’t cost you too many calories is roasted chickpeas.
If you’re a fan of hummus, you’re sure to love chickpeas in their crispiest form. Chickpeas are great for you in a variety of ways – they’re full of protein, fibre, as well as various different vitamins and minerals.
Although you can buy them from the shop, it’s also easy to make them yourself by baking chickpeas in the oven until they’re crispy.
You can add different herbs and spices to your roasted chickpeas – why not try bbq roasted chickpeas or super spicy chickpeas?