It should come as no surprise that eating late at night is bad for you – is anything that feels good actually good for you? Well, that’s a different debate entirely that we’ll save for another time.
For now, let’s talk about Late Night. South Dining Commons offers a food buffet from 9pm to 1am, Sunday through Thursday. It’s filled with all the good stuff any person would normally crave at any hour of the day: French toast, bacon, fruits, veggies and various actual dinner-like meals. All of it appeals to the senses and is hard to resist, hence why the line is always out the door.
By Caitlin Wolper
Other food joints or convenience stores on campus wait until the later hours to close in order to give students the opportunity to satisfy their late night needs as well.
The options at South – although thoroughly appealing- are not the best to be eating during such hours. Generally, we’re all drawn to poorer food choices later in the evening; we’re more likely to grab ice cream rather than vegetables. But these choices have adverse effects on our bodies.
By Caitlin Wolper
The French toast and bacon (although so heavenly in taste) are unfortunately high in fat and low in nutrition. Eating foods that lack sufficient nutrients at night can cause you to feel a lot worse physically and emotionally than you would have had you not eaten them.
Also, when you eat late, your body is given the task of digesting more food than it does in the regular day. After you eat, your body will try to metabolize the meal, which can actually keep you awake for longer than you had wanted. And, of course, adding an extra meal to your daily diet is surely not the way to lose weight, if that’s something you’re interested in (it’s nearly bikini season, right?).
By Caitlin Wolper
What should you eat if you really can’t resist the munchies late at night? Aim to have foods that are more ‘meal’ based and not ‘snack’ based. Go for whole grain cereal, yogurt or fruit; all of these options are offered at Late Night in South. Still, only go if you think yourself to be strong enough to deny the bacon.
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