The Ultimate List of Healthy Midnight Snacks
What's more unavoidable for a college kid than staying up late? Probably nothing.
Whether you occasionally pull an all-nighter or you never go to bed before 2 a.m., staying up is part of college life. Naturally, many of us supplement our lack of sleep through late night snacking. Because you’ll be going to bed shortly after (hopefully), you want to make choices that will help keep you healthy while preventing unwanted effects later.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a nice, light snack, and if you can refrain from adding butter, it’s even better for you.
Dark Chocolate
Chocolate is one of my favorite treats. Dark chocolate, in particular, has less sugar, which is good for before bed. It also has antioxidants, which according to Livestrong can help lower your blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, fight inflammation, and even improve your mood. Who wouldn’t want to sleep with a better mood?
Apple and Peanut Butter
The peanut butter is filling, and the apple is full of fiber. It’s a good late night snack when you’re especially hungry.
Cereal
Cereal is easy to digest, which is especially important if you’ll be going to bed shortly after you eat. Keep in mind that sugary cereal can cause stomach pain and sleep difficulties. Avoid the sugar and stick to whole grain cereals.
Cheese
Just one serving of cheese contains filling protein and fat, which will help you feel satisfied. Because you might not want to eat a square of cheese, string cheese is a good option, or you could eat it with crackers or fruit.
Oatmeal
As oatmeal is high in fiber, it’ll stick to you and make you feel comfortable without feeling too full.
Nuts
Nuts are full of protein and healthy fat. Again, these will help ease any hunger discomfort, while still being a light snack.
Water
I know this isn’t a snack, but sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. With that being said, before you grab a snack, drink a glass of water to see if your hunger subsides.
At the end of the day, a midnight snack won’t ruin your fitness goals. Aim for healthier options, but if your cookie dough craving is unbearable, try to eat it in moderation. There’s no shame in a cheat-night.
Be well, Auburn.
Photography: Jack P.
Cassie studies public relations and marketing. She feels pretty #blessed she gets to tweet and blog in her studies and her job.
Personality? Cassie’s a mix of an ENFJ & ENFP. She has just enough "J" to keep her life together but enough "P" to keep things interesting. She’s pretty much always up for an adventure...unless it's nap time.
Cassie loves people, traveling, food…and most recently, running (it’s a love/hate relationship). If she’s not going from one meeting to another, you’ll probably find her circling The Rec’s track (entirely too many times) training for her next race.
