Healthy Midnight-Snack Options For Night Owls

Choose these healthy options over unhealthy packaged food.

Healthy midnight snacks. 

Photo: istock

Many of us stay up late at night, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. It can be because of an addictive television series we’re watching, late-night studying or simply because we don’t want to go to sleep early.

No matter what the reason may be, if you’re a night owl and go to sleep quite late, feeling hungry is just part of the deal.

The snacks we end up eating during those hours may not be the best food-options for us. All those chocolate bars, biscuits or packets of Maggi might fill up an empty stomach but they provide little nutritional benefit to our bodies.

Here are some alternative healthy snack options you can choose when you crave a midnight snack:

Fruit

Fruit is always a good idea! Try grabbing an apple or a banana when you feel hungry at night. They will fill you up and also provide a high quantity of dietary fibre.

There’s a saying that if you’re feeling a little hungry, you should ask yourself if you can eat an entire apple. If you can, you really are hungry. If not, you’re just bored!

Makhanas

Also known as fox nuts, Euryale ferox, lotus seeds, gorgon nuts and phool makhana, Makhana is an excellent choice to satisfy your late-night cravings.

You can toast some makhanas in a pan and garnish them with salt if you don’t like their bland flavour.

Makhanas make for great snacks to munch on, and once you start eating them, you might find it difficult to stop!

Milk & Cereal

Okay, let’s be serious: don’t a lot of us prefer milk to packaged junk food? But we don’t consider milk the first option to satisfy our hunger, which can get problematic.

Milk has some essential nutrients and is extremely good for our body. So, if you feel the urge to eat at night, get out some cereal and some milk, and you’re good to go!

Curd

You can also have curd to satisfy your late-night hunger. It is definitely one of the better snack options. Curd cools down the stomach and is also good for the skin.

You can also have some buttermilk. It will keep you hydrated and is very healthy.

Dry Fruit

Dry fruit as a midnight snack is also a healthy option as compared to our usual go-to snacks. A handful of almonds and pistachios are a quick-fix for your hunger. They offer a high dose of protein and other essential nutrients and help to keep you away from oily, spicy and unhealthy munching options.

Avoid eating anything too spicy, too oily, too sweet or something with too much caffeine before going to sleep. It is not good for your health and adversely impacts your sleep. If you are craving junk food, consume it earlier in the day and keep your midnight snacks light and healthy.