Choose the right night time snacks
Having cravings is not inevitable. But properly identifying them helps to avoid them. Indeed, when you are suddenly hungry in the evening, you often fill it with chocolate, sweets or salty aperitif cakes, rarely with carrot sticks without sauce! If we can’t help it, we can prefer snacks that won’t weigh on our scales. How to lose food cravings? Or what to eat before going to bed? Here are the answers from the editorial staff!
Why do we have evening cravings?
Evening cravings occur a few hours after dinner. We are hungry and we feel the need to devour what comes to hand. Most often, to satisfy evening cravings, we rely on cakes, sweets, ice creams or crackers which normally accompany our aperitifs. In short, we eat comfort foods that are too fatty, too sweet and too salty. But is it really out of hunger?
A light dinner
This hunger-valle can be caused by a dinner that is too light. We often hear that it is necessary to lighten the evening meal as much as possible, but it is not such a good idea. At night, our body regenerates and for this it needs energy. The evening meal should therefore not be too heavy, while covering our needs.
What if we were thirsty?
To ensure the proper functioning of our body, we must drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day. If the body is dehydrated, it sends signals to the brain that can be misinterpreted. It is not uncommon for us to confuse hunger with thirst, especially at night. The sensations are close! In case of nocturnal cravings, instead of throwing yourself on food, it is wise to drink a large glass of water or herbal tea, wait 20 minutes and see if the feeling of hunger persists.
Fear of being hungry at night?
At night, we secrete a hormone, leptin, which prevents us from being hungry. So don’t panic, if you have eaten well in the evening, you will last until breakfast. Leptin also activates our metabolism and helps us digest. So we don’t nibble so as not to get up at night. If we can’t help it, we look for a psychological source rather than a physiological one.
And if we crack, what do we choose to snack on?
If you really want to snack after dinner, choosing the right snacks is essential. You need to give your body enough energy, but also avoid gaining weight. It is therefore necessary to bet on natural yogurt or cottage cheese with a little honey and dried fruit. Fresh fruit is also an interesting option. Citrus fruits are to be avoided, but the apple is a real appetite suppressant. If you have soup, do not hesitate to make another bowl. Fans of crisps and other crunchy snacks can opt for whole grain pancakes. Low in calories, they are high in fiber and fill the stomach without causing too much damage.
Solutions to fight evening cravings
To dodge nighttime cravings, you have to rebalance your dinners. Too often, starches are banned from our plates in the evening when they are essential, especially if you have burned calories during the day. Choose wholemeal pasta, rice or steamed potatoes to complete your dinner. Fill up on fiber, eat protein with lean meat or legumes, or turn to cereals…
If the evening cravings are too numerous, postpone the meal time. Finally, when you are in front of the television at night, keep your hands busy! And yes, boredom also pushes us to eat. Finally, if snacking is not motivated by an insatiable hunger, but rather by a small desire to eat, we allow ourselves 2 squares of chocolate with an herbal tea to boost our morale.