Most college students often find themselves limited by their dining hall hours. We all heard a bazillion times that eating late at night or snacking late at night wasn’t healthy for you and would make it easier for you to gain weight if not done properly. As students understanding the struggle, we have decided to bring you the best late night snacks according to doctors.
Healthy late night snacks all depend on what you fill your pantry (or shelves) and fridge with. Some healthy snacks may even improve your sleep. Late night snacks should as much as possible be under a couple hundred calories.
Dr. Oz
According to Dr. Oz, healthy snacks you can consume worry-less after dark include dark chocolate (his favorite as seen on his Instagram), almonds, low-fat greek yogurt, fresh fruit and oatmeal.
Dr. Travis Stark
Dr. Travis Stark, an ER physician and one of the doctors on “The Doctors” show, recommends whole wheat toast with avocado or almond butter. The amount of complex carbohydrates in these foods increase melatonin production and help improve sleep quality. The whole wheat toast can be substituted with an apple or a banana to make it even healthier.
Dr. Rachel Ross
Another Dr. on the same show, Rachel Ross‘ go-to is air-popped popcorn which is has a lower fat and calorie count than microwaveable popcorn. Air-popped popcorn brands can be found in most grocery stores with the most common one being Skinny Pop. This snack also helps with late-night salty cravings.
Dr. Andrew Ordon
“The Doctors” resident plastic surgeon prefers whole grain cereal without much sugar accompanied with non-fat or almond milk (one without added sugar precisely)
Make sure your late-night snacks are easy to digest — the easier, the better. Your snacks should not contain too much fiber, protein or fat so you can get a better night’s sleep.
Also, be sure to avoid anything spicy, caffeinated or sweet. Consuming sugary and unhealthy snacks late at night will make you wake up craving an unhealthy breakfast, and that’s not ideal.