Feeling your stomach roar before going to sleep is a feeling that few people may find pleasant. Sometimes we eat early and go to bed late or we just don’t eat too much. That’s when hunger can squeeze in the moments before sleep. Whether it’s because you don’t feel like wasting time or going on a diet, there are those who don’t take anything and go to sleep hungry. However, there is a solution: light snacks. Small portions of food that can satiate us enough without taking in too many calories and without us having to make big efforts.
In Alimente we have selected five simple light snacks that will help you to never go to sleep again with hunger or fear of incurring a calorie surplus that makes you gain weight.
Fresh cheese with tomato
Protein is a macronutrient with great satiating power. Therefore, foods that contain it are always very interesting to regulate appetite. Dairy products have a high amount of this nutrient and cheese is no exception. This is why a fresh cheese accompanied with a few slices of tomato and salt can make a perfect snack.
Those who opt for dairy products to calm their appetite will find yoghurts a quick and effective option
It is quick to prepare because you only have to have the typical fresh cheese that is sold in small units, ready to open it and taste it. And the tomato is washed and cut in a few minutes. The mixture of both house very well and you can even choose to replace the fresh cheese with a little mozzarella to almost conform what would be a typical Italian caprese salad in mini version.
Protein yogurt with nuts
In the line of betting on dairy to eat something satiating, yogurts are always a quick and effective option. If they are protein, more and more widespread in Spanish supermarkets, the result is much greater. For just 60 or 100 calories, one of these yogurts can calm our hunger and provide us with interesting nutrients. You can also add nuts such as a small handful of walnuts for a crunchy contrast, a distinctive taste and a very interesting nutritional addition in the form of healthy fats.
Carrots with hummus
Vegetables have great satiating power. This is due to its high amount of fiber and low calorie density (few calories in relation to the amount of food). Starting from this notion, eating them before going to sleep may be a good idea to avoid hunger. However, at that time of the day you might not want to start preparing a salad. The solution is easy: go to those vegetables that can be eaten quickly without much preparation. And a clear example is raw carrots.
All you have to do is peel the carrots, wash them and enjoy them. Since they are made up of a large part of water, they do not provide just calories. Not in vain, to eat them alone can be something bland and in these cases it is interesting to mix them with some sauce or cream. A homemade hummus may be the solution. This one is elaborated with chickpeas, whose protein contribution can help us. All you have to do is pick up the carrots and hit – or wet – on the hummus.
Glass of milk with defatted cocoa
The instant chocolate milk glass before bed is a classic. It is quick to prepare and helps to fall asleep and calm hunger. However, there is a way to make this much more effective: by adding defatted cocoa powder instead of the typical soluble chocolate. The first has more fiber and hardly any sugar, unlike the other. This helps maintain low blood glucose levels that affect appetite regulation. Obviously, this snack is intended for those who enjoy the bitter taste of cocoa.
Water-cooled egg
The most complicated part of this snack is the preparation of the egg. This can be grilled with little oil where you only have to invest a couple of minutes or can be cooked to take it hard or passed through water. For those who want to have this resource at hand and not waste time, supermarkets already sell even cooked so that you only have to remove the shell and eat them immediately.
The egg has great satiating power and can be combined with half a small avocado to create a tasty aperitif and make us forget the hunger during the night. Combining both creates a snack somewhat more caloric than the previous ones, because egg and avocado have a greater amount of healthy fat, but is still light and also very nutritious.