Admit this guilty pleasure: sometimes, before going to bed, you just feel the need to grab something tasty and enjoy it in front of the TV. But most of the times, that little something is not healthy and makes you gain undesired weight.
So what are the best things to eat before bed to lose weight? Take a look at our selection!
Best Things to Eat Before Bed
Good: Cherries
Among the best foods to eat before bed to lose weight are cherries. They are one of the few natural foods that contain melatonin which helps control out body’s internal clock. They are sweet, fresh and if you suffer from insomnia, drinking some cherry juice might improve your condition.
Good: Milk
You probably have fond memories of your mother and grandmother preparing you a glass of hot milk before bed. You should know that it contains tryptophan, an amino acid which was the precursor of serotonin.
Good: Jasmine Rice
What’s the best thing to eat before bed? Well, here is your answer: jasmine rice. Your body will digest it slowly, and will release glucose gradually into the bloodstream. In 2020, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study according to which the consumption of jasmine rice 4 hours prior bedtime reduced to half the amount of time it took the respondents to fall asleep.
Good: Cereals
Cereals are some of the best things to eat before bed to lose weight. They contain carbs which are good for your body. You can try some wheat-based cereals, quinoa or barley, mix them with milk for a light late nigh snack.
Good: Bananas
Bananas are also great when it comes to food consumption before going to bed. They contain magnesium and potassium which will help relax your muscles and some carbs as well. Dr Rosenberg (nutritionist) even adds: “They’re overall health promoters. We need potassium for cardiovascular health and cognitive functioning”.
The Worst Things to Eat Before You Sleep
Of course, we should not forget about the things that you’d better avoid eating before going to sleep. Here they are!
Bad: Pasta
Yes, indeed, it is a very quick and tasty meal you could prepare before bed, but it’s definitely not an ideal nighttime snack. It has straight carbohydrates and you should think twice before going to bed right after eating. Why? Because it favors gaining weight which you probably want to avoid. You should also know that pasta also has a high glycemic index, which means that it will delay your sleep, play with your blood sugar levels and wake you up in the middle of the night.
Bad: Ice Cream
Sometimes, you just crave for a big and tasty bowl of ice cream. Well, you should think twice before heading to the fridge, because ice cream is loaded with fat. The sugar will provide your body with a lot of energy, thus delaying the sleep and in the end it will get stored and turned into fat deposits. Also, it has been discovered that the consumption of high sugar foods can cause nightmares, so, although the taste might give you comfort, the results are not healthy at all.
Bad: Celery
It might be surprising to see celery on this list, however, you should know that it is a natural diuretic that will make you go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Of course, you should always eat vegetables because they are rich in nutrients, however, you should stay away from the ones that have diuretic effects, such as celery.
Bad: Dark Chocolate
The typical scenario: you’re sitting in front of the TV and you start craving about a little nub of chocolate. Indeed, it’s quite delicious, but it contains caffeine which will probably disturb your sleep. It also has stimulants as theobromine which will make your heart race a little bit.
Bad: Pizza
You should think twice before ordering some pizza right before bedtime because your stomach, as well as the rest of your body, needs to relax before going to bed and pizza is not light at all. Tomato sauce has high levels of acidity, another catalyst for acid reflux. We would recommend you to reconsider so you’ll avoid waking up several times at night and ruining your beauty sleep.
Check out 10 more healthy late night snacks
