Eating hacks for the late night sweet tooth.It's about 7:30 pm. You are eating a lovely meal with your family. You almost can't finish the last bite on your plate because you are so full. But then, an hour or two later the pangs of deprivation come creeping up on you and you are starving!
You did everything right during the day - exercised, ate healthy and drank plenty of water but, now you are about to ruin it all by ransacking the pantry for anything bad.
This late night eating habit can be caused by a number of things. Actual hunger, temperament, dehydration (you could just be thirsty) or low levels of salt of sugar. But regardless of why; it is not good for you.
My dad for instance will eat like a bird during the day but after dinner he makes some of the craziest creations to satisfy his sweet tooth, like ice cream on waffles with some jelly and syrup on the side and maybe some cookies stuffed in there.
Instead of letting this late night sugar monster get the best of you, there are ways to alleviate that awful hunger pang especially when your brain knows you aren't actually hungry.
Dr. G Suggests:
A big glass of water, with a teaspoon or olive oil and a teaspoon of raw honey mixed in. It will satisfy the sweet tooth and create saiety (fullness) so your brain thinks you are full. It is low in calories. Win, win, win.
Another trick is to not do your late night snacking in front of the T.V. It becomes really easy to mindlessly eat more then you wanted to when your are focused on your show. You can try things like chewing on a piece of gum instead.
If you absolutely must snack and you are aware that you are going to do this after dinner, it could help to have snacks ready for you. This way you are not just grabbing the quickest easiest consumable item.
Try having a fruit smoothie ready to eat after dinner. You will be consuming fruit instead of processed sugars and it will fill you up and you won't feel so guilty about it in the morning.
If you must snack on chips try baked chips. You can even try portioning out a bag of chips into smaller sandwich baggies as this will make it more difficult to mindlessly eat the whole bag, and if you measured out your bags you will be aware of how many calories you are consuming. A big part of controlling late night eating is controlling the portion size of the food.
If you are the late night snacker that likes to cook your own food, try making an ommlette or an egg sandwich. Avoid sugary greasy foods.
Lastly, try making your self a big cup of herbal tea.
