Its 9pm… you have the kids to bed… and without thinking twice your hand is in the bag of salty snacks. Or you are walking in the pantry and leaving with a handful of chocolate chips! WHY?!??! Why are we self sabotaging?? It’s not even like it makes us feel good… we feel gross after binge eating straight peanut butter and chasing it with chocolate.. right?? it has to stop! Dammit this has to end …NOW!
Well… here is my two cents worth!!
A couple things could be the culprit.
Consider what you missed. Rather than blindly reaching for a box of cookies or a bag of chips, do a quick inventory of what you’ve eaten for the entire day. Did you eat all the macros… Protein, Carbs AND Fats?? How was your meals balanced out today?? Did you eat all your carbs at once?? This will make a difference in how your body breaks your food down into energy and how badly you will be at craving at night.
Tempted to skimp on daytime meals. this leads to having snacks. Don’t do it. Not eating enough during the day will leave you over hungry and more likely to chew the doors off the cupboards or eat a bowl of cake batter than make a healthy choice at night.
Sleep. How much are you getting?? With less than seven hours of sleep, the body changes the way it releases appetite-controlling hormones. So is the “Mr. SandMan” bringing you to dreamland?? If your not getting enough this could be part of the reason your face and eyes into cheese puffs each night!
Are you bored? Its known in the world of psychology as “emotional eating” and it has us running towards the popcorn with extra butter quite often. Tell your bored self to take a hike and maybe when you feel the urge to eat, instead have a new hobby close by like crossword or something to replace the craving.
It could be habit. Since you have been a kid did you have a night time lunch?? boredom eating can derail all your progress if we let it. Start being mindful when your heading to the cupboard to have a sweet treat to go with that cup of tea!
Ok.. so we have dove into a few reasons why your mouth waters and you find yourself chewing at the bit. Let me share a few of the tips I use to fight off the yearning you feel for everything and anything sweet/salty!
Indulge your inner sloth and hop into bed early. From there, you can read, watch TV, play Candy Crush with Friends, whatever. When you’re all cozied up in a spot that’s far away from the kitchen, you’re a lot less likely to end up grazing on empty calories just because. I ALWAYS do this!! I take my tea and water and go to bed with a book!
Eat something healthy first. If you fill yourself up on healthy foods than you will be less likely to eat a huge portion of the food your salivating over.
Eat a small portion. If you deprive yourself from something your really, really craving than you will explode and eat triple the amount than if you gave yourself a small bit.
Have healthier options ready to go. I ALWAYS have healthy batches of Energy Balls, pre cut peppers and hummus, avocados and my FAV PB&J rice cakes for treats and snacks. They do the trick and my craving melt away. You can get some great tasting healthy snacks.
Drink water. When we are dehydrated our mind often confuses this with hunger. Get your H20 in consistently each day and you should see a difference in your cravings.
Chew sugar free gum. This is a HUGE help when your trying to curb those cravings. Pick up a kind you really enjoy and have them in your purse, backpacks, cupborads, vehicles wtc so whenever you feel like pulling in the drive thru and ordering your triple triple with a treat dipped in sugar you will be prepared.
Stay Strong. Distract yourself… food cravings usually pass after 20 minutes so be strong and do something to help distract yourself. Call a friend, pick up a book, do a puzzle.. whatever you need to do!
Exercise and Proper Sleep. This is a biggie. These habits will help lower your levels of a hormone, which stimulates appetite. Lack of sleep can lead to food cravings and overeating. So adding a quick 30 mins of exercise and some extra shut eye will MOST DEFINITELY fix up those craving pangs!!
Here are 10 late night options to have on hand for you to grab in case you are in need:
2 cups air-popped popcorn with 1 oz. (4 dice-sized cubes) cheese
¾ cup plain yogurt topped with ½ cup blueberries
½ whole-grain pita spread with hummus
½ cup cooked oatmeal made with ½ scoop unsweetened protein powder
1 banana spread with 1 Tbsp nut butter
½ cup cottage cheese mixed with ¼ cup pineapple
Sliced veggies dipped in 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt dip or hummus
Simple smoothie: Blend 1 cup plain kefir with ½ cup frozen fruit like peaches, berries, or mango.
Whole grain crackers topped with ¼ cup ricotta cheese and a drizzle of honey
1 slice whole-grain raisin toast spread with 1 Tbsp nut butter
Want my recipe for my FAVE ENERGY BALLS?? Of all the snacks and healthy treats I make I find these the easiest and yummiest of them all. They are so simple and you can make a huge batch and they keep so well.
I adapted this recipe from DANIELLE WALKERS, “eat what you love” cookbook.
ENERGY BALLS.
Makes 12.
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup unsweetened nut butter
1/2 cup raw honey
15 small pitted dates
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp protein powder (I use Shakeology Vanilla Vegan try it!!)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate (80% cacao)
dash fine sea salt
cocoa powder or finely shredded unsweetened coconut, for rolling
Directions:
Place the flaxseed, nut butter, honey, dates, cacao powder, coconut flour, protein powder, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Stir in the chocolate and a pinch of salt. Remove the blade and chill the mixture for 30 mins.
plce the coconut (or cocoa powder) on a plate. Roll the chilled mixture into a 1-inch ball, and roll each ball in the topping until coated.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for one week, or in the freezer for 6 months. Eat straight away; or if you prefer, defrost at room temperature for 30 mins before serving.
