You’ve finished the day, but your appetite hasn’t, leaving you guilty of raiding the fridge for leftovers or going to bed with a jar of namkeen? Try a nutritious midnight snack!
There are several reasons why you might crave a midnight snack. Many of them, ironically, has nothing to do with actual hunger. It could be that you haven’t gotten enough sleep. Sleep deprivation disrupts the body’s hormonal balance, causing hunger pangs. Stress and boredom are other factors that can make you hungry at night.
In any case, increased hunger at night is one of the leading causes of weight gain, owing to people snacking on the wrong foods in the wee hours. If you need to snack before bed, try these snack recipes high in sleep-inducing nutrients like tryptophan, melatonin, protein, and carbohydrates.
1. Warm Honey Milk
Milk is a wholesome food which contains all of the nutrients our bodies require, whereas honey contains essential amino acids. A glass of warm milk will leave you feeling sleepy and calm, mainly if it has nutmeg, which is a natural sleep aid.
Ingredients
- 1 cupful of milk
- 2 tsp-1 tbsp honey, depending on your sweet tooth
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
Method
- Warm the milk until it’s hotter than you’d like to drink it, then stir in the honey. Sprinkle with nutmeg powder.
- Drink it before going to bed.
2. Caramelized Bananas with Frozen Yoghurt
If you’re craving a warm, gooey treat, skip the brownies in favour of baked fruit. Bananas are high in fibre and contain minerals like potassium and magnesium, which help prevent nighttime muscle cramps.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon butter 2 medium bananas, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ cup of orange juice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup yoghurt, frozen
Method
- Firstly, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Place the banana slices, cut side up, on top of the brown sugar. Cook for another 20 seconds.
- Mix in the orange juice and cinnamon. Cook for 10 seconds, then carefully turn the bananas and cook for another 45 to 60 seconds, basting with the pan sauce. Immediately serve with a scoop of frozen yoghurt. Drizzle the sauce over the dish.
3. Vegetables with Hummus
Hummus is made from chana, which is high in vitamin B6 and can help you sleep better. Raw Vegetables have low calories and high nutrients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked and drained chickpeas
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon jeera (cumin) powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Method
- Mix all ingredients in a mixer and puree until smooth and creamy. You can adjust the amounts of garlic, paprika, and oil to suit your taste.
- Serve with carrot, cucumber sticks, or any other raw/steamed vegetables of your choice in a bowl drizzled with olive oil and paprika.
4. Paneer on the whole wheat toast
Paneer is an excellent calcium source. It also contains slow-digesting proteins, keeping you satisfied throughout the night. Scrambled eggs, another excellent source of protein, can be used in place of the paneer topping in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 multigrain bread slice
- ½ cup paneer
- ¼ onion crumbled
- ¼ tomatoes chopped
- Coriander
- mint leaves to taste
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
Method
- On a pan, lightly toast the bread.
- To make a topping for the toast, combine the paneer and the remaining ingredients.
5. Almond Trail Mix
Almonds are high in protein, tryptophan, and magnesium. While the former will keep you full at night, the other nutrients will help you sleep.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds, baby
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- ¾ cup uncooked sunflower seeds
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
Method
- Set the oven temperature to 300°F & line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, and syrup until evenly coated. Spread the nuts and seeds on the lined baking sheets in an even, single layer—season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake the nuts until it turns golden, occasionally stirring with a spatula. Take it out of the oven and keep it aside for cooling.
- When the nuts have cooled, toss in the cherries to combine. Keep the mixture at room temperature in an airtight container.
These are some of the recipes to satiate your midnight hunger pangs.