Healthy midnight snacks to binge on! - Times of India

Do you often end up ditching your love for snacks and control your midnight cravings just to stay healthy? The scare of gaining weight often makes us tame the temptation of eating at late hours. Well, here are a few simple snacks that you can binge eat without feeling guilty.

What experts suggest?

Many people, due to many reasons, feel hungry again after having dinner. It can be due to work shifts, boredom, stress or if you have had a smaller or earlier dinner.
There's a lot of debate about whether or not you should eat after dinner. And, if that's okay, what are the foods to consume at that hour? According to Dietitian and Nutritionist Sakina Mustansir, if you snack wisely, you will not gain weight. Here are a few foods suggested by experts which you can binge on late at night.

* Berries -- Berries are loaded with fibre which helps you feel full, besides they also contain magnesium, a mineral that relaxes nerves and muscles to speed faster.

* Peanut butter Sandwich -- Peanut butter contains tryptophan that gets converted in the brain to melatonin to promote sleepiness. And carbohydrates like bread are needed alongside to make tryptophan more available to the brain. Hence peanut butter bread is the perfect pairing for a pre-sleep snack, and nutritious, too.

* Whole-grain crackers -- When you're hungry for something savoury and crunchy at night, then this can come in handy. Make sure they are unsalted to keep overeating at bay.
* Carrot and hummus -- If you're craving something crunchy and low-calorie and filling, fresh carrots with hummus can come in handy.

* Popcorn -- For those who would like to eat something salty and crunchy, we would suggest they binge on popcorn. It's a high-fibre snack that will keep you full until the next meal. Leave off the butter and salt, and replace them with heart-healthy fats like olive oil or fresh herbs. In fact, three cups of air-popped popcorn contain less than 100 calories and roughly 4 grams of fibre, which will help you to feel full.

* Nuts -- Nuts like walnuts and almonds contain natural melatonin, protein, and magnesium, a modest handful of nuts will satiate appetite and induce sleepiness.
* Roasted Grams -- Roasted Grams are a crunchy nutrient-dense, low-calorie snack that's high in protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, which makes them a healthier alternative to salty snacks like potato chips.
* Low Fat turmeric Milk -- Milk is a rich source of important nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B, potassium and Vitamin D. Adding turmeric to milk enables your body to relax. It gives a calming effect to the brain and gives you a perfect good night sleep.
Inputs from IANs

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Healthy midnight snacks to binge on! - Times of India
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