Late Night Eating – DO IT.

Thanks for the info, Joel. I often find myself really hungry in the later evening, so it’s nice to know I don’t have to sit there and deprive myself as my stomach growls!

Thanks again,

Sidney

It makes sense actually!!!

cottage cheese and natural peanut butter is one of my favorite pre-bedtime snacks for sure.

Nuts and some turkey as a late time snack, that’s an favorite!
Intressting post

Hey Joel, I have always tried not to eat after dinner but sometimes I do feel hungry and reach for something quick (probably full of carbs) but I will keep your advice in mind and if I need to eat something will reach for protein and veges.
Thanks Bernadette

HA! I love this! :D Now I know WHAT to put into my body at night, instead of ending up cheating! I’m so happy Holly told me about you! You are such a resource! Thanks Joel! :*

Hi Joel,
thanks for the advice – it makes sense to me! Looking forward to hearing more.
Linda

Low fat chocolate milk’s great. Especially when cold. Chocolate makes people happy and milk has plenty of protein. Low fat just completes the whole equation. Works for me.

That’s a really great sound advice. Now I know I don’t have to endure growling stomach at night anymore. So, do you think baked chicken breasts are okay? What about nuts like almonds? And what about the amount? About 300 calories or less than that?
~Foong~

Hi Joel
I like the idea of late night snacking. Just one question, what about the diet where one has to fast for 24 hours? The writer claims you will not lose muscle. I love that diet, what is your view on that?

O I forgot to say that I like to nibble on a green pepper late at night and a glass of water with lemon

Bonjour Joel, Thank you for your great insight as the “late night ” problem is probably my biggest due to my lack of sleep and lack of sufficient calories during the day. I will NOW become more savvy in my pm choices because yours make much more sense than mine! ; )

OOdles of Cheer,
Me : )

What about extremely-late night eating, i.e. drinking a gallon of water before bed so you wake up for a protein shake? Is it worth the sleep interruption? Maybe you can set an alarm to wake you up between REM cycles?

Great post…but I have two related questions:
1) How will exercise in the evening change post-workout carb intake?
2) If I’m supposed to eat carbs at night after a late-hour workout…what are my best food choices?

How about raisins and nuts for late night snacking? DOes it have to be animal proteins and green veggies?

hi joel
thanks for the gr8 post – this is really valuable info!
i do have a question though. I am a vegetarian (i do eat cheese&eggs).
you mention cottage cheese as a non-meat protein option.
what other options would you recommend? (how about tofu and or lentils??)
also, when u say no carbs….do you mean NO carbs eg. wholewheat toast with lentil soup?
thanks
nicky (from byron bay – australia)

a low carb protein shake? Cottage cheese?
I did the wake and shake at 1 am on you first iteration of the Cheaters diet and it worked out really well.

I like to have a half of cup of plain yogurt mixed with 1 scoop of vanilla Metabolic Drive protein and some blueberries for my evening snack. It’s goooood!

Any further suggestions for filling snacks for vegetarians? thanks!

hey Joel… i was just wondering…is it good to have a heavy breakfast before bed ?

I don’t have a favourite snack/meal before bed but I do try to limit what I eat to Meats and Cheeses late on. My problem i s I still find I wake up hungry several times in the early hours and start rummaging through the fridge and cupboards for any quick fix snack. Is this a really bad thing?

Cottage cheese is m favorite late night snack.

I usually like to eat some nuts with yogurt or a slice of cheese.

Thanks Joel,
I knew that someone would find a reason why that “rule” was a dumb one. After reading about feed the muscle, I have wondered about not eating for hours on end in the evening.

I usually have dinner at around 6 and then a last meal at 8:30 or so. Apple and almond butter is one option or Greek Yogurt (16g protein) + walnuts and some sf chocolate syrup is another. Yum!

Although the apple/almond butter combo does not meet the protein+veggie rule, it works for me. My BF is ~14% and I have good muscle definition.

This is the first time I’ve heard anyone advocate eating at night, but I’ve always done it anyway. my lifelong quest has always been to gain weight since I have a very high metabolic rate. At age 48 this is no different and I’ve gained some weight only because of musclebulding. I agree with you 100%, everyone has different needs.

I recently started having 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese with a handful of almonds about three hours after dinner and it definitely curbs my desire to eat junk food and seems to help my recovery as well.

I always have some cottage cheese w/natural peanut butter mixed in. Slow digesting carbs and healthy fats…the perfect nighttime snack!!

Glad to see that I”m not the only one starving late at night. When I’m hungry..I eat. Usually, I have a scoop of Dymatize 12 hour Elite Protein, with a spoonful of natural peanut butter though. that usually holds me over till morning.

Hi Joel, Thanks for the post! I, too, have been eating small snacks of protein and veges at night – and still have been losing weight.

I VERY MUCH LIKED YOUR ARTICLE, BECAUSE I DO GET VERY HUNGRY AT NIGHT AND I ALWAYS FEELGUILTY EATING BECAUSE I THINK YOUR NOT SUPPOSE TO EAT AFTER 7:00

I’ve pretty much broken the habit of eating after dinner but if I do get hungry I usually grab a 100 calorie bag of popcorn – who knew that’s what I shouldn’t do?! I’ll sub with cottage cheese and veggies from now on. Thanks for the info Joel!

Thank you! My children and I have struggled with this, and I am glad to know how to deal with this for them and for me.

I love to snack on nuts – is this ok at night?

I like knowing that I can admit to eating late at night without having to appologize.

Thanks Joel! I’m a tae-kwon-do teacher that doesn’t get home until 9 pm most days. I’ve always felt guilty when i chose to eat something because I was starving. I do usually try to eat healthy anyway. Like peanut butter, yogurt or carrots. Thanks for the info!

How about a protein shake with lowfat milk?

Seems to me that metabolism falling off, and insulin sensitivity dropping, in he evening, is really related more to one’s habitual bedtime rather than evening hours per se. It would be different for a person in bed by 10 pm, as compared to someone like me who generally makes it to bed only by midnight or so. I thought finishing the evening meal about 2 hrs before bedtime would be a better guideline. Am I wrong?

But it’s still important to keep total calories in mind, right?

Hey Joel! Good word man-a late nite snack works most effectively when you keep the food quantity small and it’s a high quality whole, all natural food. In other words, not a bag of chips, or a bowl of ice cream. Remember also, eating the right foods increases your metabolism. I’ve heard many competing body builders actually get up in the middle of the night to eat.

I like to snack on what I’m making for lunch for the next day. Say sauteed spinach with garlic and lamb shoulder chops. It usually smells so good I can’t help trying a little before I put it away in the fridge for the next day.

great. keep em coming.

I couldn’t agree more….quite often I will have a snack just minutes before hitting the sack. Great advice…as always!!!!!

Finally somebody confirms, what I know all my life (at least about my body), but have always been discouraged by professionals. SInce I was a little girl, I HAD to eat late, otherwise I could not fall asleep, or sleep without waking up during night. It sounds very appealing to be able to have a nibble at 10 or 11 pm before going to bed without feeling terribly guilty, that a day of dieting is ruined. For me it gives perfect sense.

Thank you very much for the explanation how body works and what type of late night snack is the best. That is really helpful. AND thank you for being brave. Elena :o)

I usually eat cottage cheese, but sometimes I mix protein powder with sugar free cool whip, it tastes like dessert!

I enjoy a Protein Shake made with water. maybe a handful of almonds too.

I have a full smoothie of blueberries or strawberries, plus a banana, rice protein(not whey), rice bran, mineral clay, and seaweed and algae greens with stevia for sweetener each night. I sleep soundly and sore muscles are usually repaired by the morning. I’m 72 years of age and have gained 16 lbs of muscle in 6 months and stay in shape for snow skiing. I now weight 196 lbs.

Love the article and I LOVE my Gourmet Nutrition chocolate-peanut-butter-bar as my last meal-which is usually at 9:30-10pm! (I have tweaked the recipe from the book a bit- I add 3/4c. water, replaced the Splenda with Sweetleaf stevia (6-7 packets) and put it in 325 degree oven for about 6 minutes-it’s like a brownie!) I look forward to it all day and enjoy every bite! P.S. Just compared some side by side pics from July 08 and yesterday- wow! Thanks Joel! :)

I’m another one of those “can’t sleep on an empty tummy”s; I go with the protein shake.

I absolutely agree. I have tried to stop eating by 8pm and when I did I woke up in the middle of the night from hunger pains. It was totally uncomfortable.

Instead I usually have some turkey or chicken with hummus about an hour before bed. It makes me feel great and I am really hungry when I wake up, but I can make it through the night!

I totally agree, plus you don’t wake up feeling extremely hungry the next morning.

Hi Joel,

My favorite late night snack is a “meat roll-up”: lean lunch meat, rolled up around a smear of goat cheese, a slice of dill pickle or pepperoncini and a long slice of cucumber. Super yummy!

I agree with your logic; however, my naturopath instructed me not to eat after 7pm, not because of fat storage, but because digestion uses a lot of energy. If our bodies are using energy to digest, then they aren’t getting recuperative sleep. So, by stopping at 7pm, most of our night is spent on restful sleep. What do you think about this?

A dense carbohydrate such as celery with organic almond butter is a perfect late night snack. Actually any dense complex carb is good as it will not effect insulin release.

Actually, carbohydrates are not stored as fat except under extreme circumstances. The fact that the pathway does exist has apparently caused confusion among people who think this will be a problem for them. One of many many papers on this subject can be found at:
http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v53/n1s/abs/1600744a.html

Basically, you are right: you can eat at night if you aren’t putting yourself into positive caloric balance.

Thanks for the clarification on this issue.
I have never followed that rule.
I will eat many low carb items up till 2 hours before bedtime, fruits 1 hour before and Casine protein shake 1/2 hour before bedtime.

I like to drink a protein shake late at night. Whey or Casein. If I don’t have protein I’ll get half an apple and walnuts o peanut butter.

I stay up late always so eating late is a must for me to keep my body and mind alive. Sometimes I even get a short workout done at midnight.

Thanks For The Information.It’s Great To Know That We Can Still Eat After 7 P.M
Thanks For Sharing.Have A Great Day.

good to hear that,my fav is cottage cheese with some chilli flakes mixed in.

Why do I always crav carbs in the evenings, then? I KNOW I should eat protein!!!!

I agree with what you are saying! I like the idea of a snack in the evening – becasue there is a lot going on in our bodies while we sleep.

Thanks for all the great valueable tips, i have already been implementing some of these tips in my diet plan and it seems to be working….thanks again! some of my late night snacks are beef Jerky,popcorn,and cottage cheese.

Holly Rigsby recommends a protein snack before bed and also emphasises that it is a myth not to eat three hours before bed, spread by a famous talk show host who has trouble keeping the weight off. I have either learned something new or had re-confirmed good information ever since Holly introduced us to you! Thank you so much!!!

Fully agree. Your muscles grow and recover during the night and starving for 12 hours does not make sense. I like to have a glass of milk with protein powder, seems to work. Don’t wake up dehydrated either.

Hi Joel, what is your take on fruit, which generally has a high glycaemic index? Sometimes late at night I crave plums, don’t know what that’s about!!!

Hello mate, I really agree with u, it is ok to eat protein after 7 pm. I used to do that for a month and I gained some pure muscle.