Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

Corporate Wellness: Is Nighttime Eating a DO or a DON'T?

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This blog was written by Anna Hiple. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Snacking before bedtime has long been a hotly debated subject. Although we’ve learned that weight control is largely dependent on the balance between calorie consumption and calorie expenditure, late-night eating must be done with care. Otherwise it may damage your weight loss or maintenance efforts. Follow these simple tips for nighttime eating.

Nighttime eating is a DON’T if…

• You eat out of boredom or habit; not because you are hungry.
• It leads to mindless consumption of excessive calories, especially of foods void of nutritional value such as potato chips, candy, cookies, ice cream, etc.
• You tend to suffer from nighttime heartburn, indigestion, or acid reflux.
• You tend to reach for foods that contain caffeine, such as chocolate.
• You wake up feeling too full in the morning to eat breakfast.

Nighttime eating can be a DO if…

• Heavy, greasy foods with a high fat content are avoided.
• It has been several hours since your last meal.
• The snack is light and nutritious and contains a mix of carbs and protein (examples: whole-grain cereal and milk, a piece of fruit with cottage cheese, low- or non-fat dairy, popcorn, a small turkey sandwich, whole-grain crackers and cheese or hummus, etc.).