You’ve likely heard that you shouldn’t eat after 6pm, but is it true? Here’s exactly which foods to eat as a late-night snack to support your fat loss goals
So-called fitness experts would like you to believe that everything you consume after that “magical” time will quickly be turned into belly fat.
Essentially, the widely-held belief is that eating after this cut-off time will not only hamper your weight loss efforts, it may even cause you to GAIN weight.
Not every food that you eat past 7pm will be automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles.
As a matter of fact, we are going to teach you exactly which foods to eat as a late-night snack to support your weight loss and body composition goals.
You’ll be extremely excited to learn that by choosing the right foods, you can accelerate fat loss, support your calorie-burning lean muscle, and improve recovery.
Let’s get started!
Pre-Bedtime Food Choice #1 White Meat Protein
White meat animal protein sources such as chicken and turkey as well as eggs are great pre-bed meal choices.
These slow-digesting proteins will provide a sustained release of amino acids, increase satiety, elevate your metabolism, and stimulate your body to secrete glucagon. That’s a grand slam!
Why not read meat, you ask? According to a study by researchers in Australia, red meat may result in a higher insulin response than that of white pasta.
As a result, it may not be your best option because, remember, we want to keep insulin levels at bay before bed.
Fish is also probably best to avoid at this time as well. In the same study researchers found that the insulin response to fish rivaled that of high-carbohydrate whole-grain bread.
Stick with the white meat, like turkey and chicken.
While it’s certainly up for debate, turkey contains high concentrations of the amino acid tryptophan, which may help your sleeping efforts by promoting relaxation and drowsiness. A double-win!
Pre-Bedtime Food Choice #2 Cottage Cheese
As you already know, the former is a slow-digesting protein while the latter is a fast-digesting protein.
Cottage cheese is a milk-based food that is predominantly casein.
As mentioned previously, casein protein provides optimal recovery benefits as a pre-bedtime protein, and it provides up to 7 hours of sustained nutrition.
Add to these highlights an increase in feelings of fullness, a ramped up metabolism, and the release of the fat-burning glucagon, and you’ve got another five-star choice.
EDITORS NOTE: Knowing what and how much to eat for weight loss is critical towards your success.
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Make sure that you opt for good ol’ plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties.
The latter have added sugars that will cause a rapid elevation in blood sugar and a resultant insulin response that will blunt fat burning.
Choose an organic variety whenever possible.
This typically implies that the animals were not treated with dangerous growth hormones or antibiotics, and they were likely pasture-raised and fed a healthier diet, which will mean a better fatty acid profile also.
Pre-Bedtime Food Choice #3 Green Vegetables
Didn’t see this one coming, did you?
Veggies, despite being classified as carbohydrates, are low glycemic and will not promote much of an insulin response, if at all.
In fact, rather than just being okay, this is a great time to increase your vegetable intake.
Consuming some veggies late at night will not only help subdue cravings, they’re rich in much-needed micronutrients and can help you balance out your body’s acidity, especially if you are going to add some protein.
It’s important to balance out the body’s acidity (e.g., pH) for multiple reasons.
If the body’s pH is not balanced, it can lead to the following negative health consequences.
- Decreased growth factors
- Growth hormone resistance
- Mild hypothyroidism
- Higher levels of blood cortisol
- Loss of muscle mass
- Enzymatic changes in the cell
- Altered regulation of metabolites and minerals
- Decreased uptake and release of oxygen
What’s more, veggies are high in fiber, which can also positively impact satiety.
As a matter of fact, fiber can stimulate special cells within the GI tract to secrete hormones that communicate satiety to the brain.
Because veggies contain virtually no calories, they are a great option for “snackers” or folks who like to eat while watching television or reading.
Rather than reaching for that bag of high-carb, insulin-spiking potato chips, slice up some multi-colored bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, and cauliflower and snack away!
A Slow-Digesting, Low-Carbohydrate Protein Shake
This may be the King of Kings when it comes to pre-bedtime foods.
If you have any kind of sweet tooth whatsoever, this offers the perfect combination of slow-digesting, glucagon-inducing, metabolism-raising, appetite-satiating proteins along with the great taste and satisfaction of a delicious milkshake.
A great-tasting smoothie combined with some healthy fats like almond butter or coconut oil not only fits the bill of the pre-bedtime criteria we’ve outlined already, it may provide some additional advantages.
Specifically, adding some “good” fats can actually slow the rate of gastric emptying, which means that you’ll experience even greater appetite satisfaction and a further sustained release of amino acids.
Pre-Bedtime Food Choice #4 Fats
On top of that, adequate dietary fat is necessary for a whole host of functions. Dietary fats:
- help manufacture and balance hormones
- form our cell membranes
- form our brains and nervous systems
- help transport fat-soluble vitamins
- provide essential fatty acids that the body can’t make
Fats will not negatively affect your blood sugar or insulin levels.
Rather, the combination of high protein and some good fats may actually help your body transition into the ideal fat-burning mode.
In addition, adequate and balanced dietary fat intake is necessary to optimize levels of the all-powerful hormone testosterone, which plays a critical role in recovery, metabolism, and fat burning.
As previously mentioned, it is incredibly important to opt for a time-released protein blend before bed (e.g., one that contains casein and/or milk protein), as slow-digesting proteins are superior at this time.
Specifically, avoid consuming whey protein-only supplements, as they lead to a dramatic increase in insulin that rivals that of white bread.
Additionally, whey protein provides amino acids for only about 1 ½ hours, whereas the slower-digesting casein provides up to 7 hours of sustained nutrition.
Summary
Here’s a recap on the BEST foods to eat before bed:
- Slow-digesting proteins, like chicken, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, and time-released, low-carbohydrate protein shakes
- Low-calorie, low-glycemic, high-fiber veggies
- Healthy fats
Remember, it’s as much about what you DON’T eat as what you DO eat.
- The first rule of thumb is to avoid carbs, which result in a rapid increase in blood sugar and insulin that will blunt your fat-burning efforts and contribute to weight gain later in the day.
- Choose time-released protein blends in favor of simple whey protein-only supplements, as the latter leads to a dramatic increase in insulin and does not provide the same long-standing nutrition as slower-digesting proteins overnight.
- Most of all, don’t become a slave to some fairy tale myth. I promise, if you choose the right foods, when the clock strikes 7pm you won’t magically add belly fat — or, turn into a pumpkin.
Research Has Shown That There Are 4 SUPER FATS French People Eat To Incinerate Stubborn Fat, While Looking Younger & Living Longer Than The Rest Of The World.
Scientists, doctors, and health experts call this “The French Paradox” and—believe it or not—it holds the missing link to forcing your body to incinerate the most stubborn fat stuck around your belly, hips, thighs, and backside.
On the following page you’ll discover 4 super fats you should be eating if you are looking to lose fat.
