Stop Midnight Munching!

Is a bedtime snack part of your nightly ritual? Do you routinely eat dinner late due to work, exercise or family commitments? Many people find themselves falling into the habit of eating at night, making it difficult to lose weight. Take a look at the following typical reasons for nighttime eating and start making changes today!

A matter of time

Eating dinner less than two hours before you go to bed won't necessarily cause weight gain, but it does mean that this meal should be the smallest of the day. It simply makes sense to eat most of our calories when we're active during the day. If you find evenings are filled with activities that push your dinner hour to a less than desirable time, try these strategies:

• Make lunch your main meal of the day, and choose a small sandwich with fruit or a salad, a small plate of pasta and vegetables or even a bowl of cereal and fruit for your late-night dinner.

• Schedule a snack around a more appropriate dinnertime. Make sure the snack is packed with nutrients and not just something quick you grab on your way out the door. Good ideas include half a sandwich, yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, a small baked potato with salsa, or one to two ounces of low-fat cheese and whole-grain crackers. This healthy snack will keep you going during the evening, and you won't be so famished that you overeat when dinnertime finally arrives.

• Pick up a healthy meal at the grocery store on your way home. Many supermarkets now have excellent salad and soup bars, cut-up fresh fruit and vegetables, whole-grain breads, and roasted chicken. Remember to choose small portions and avoid fried foods or foods coated with fatty sauces.

• Some people cut back their calorie intake so far during the day that they're literally starving at night. Unable to choose small portions, they often fill up on high-fat snack foods, overeat at dinner and give in to late-night snacking urges. If you're trying to lose weight but feel evenings are your downfall, try these ideas.

• Make sure to eat breakfast and lunch. Try to consume 2/3 of your total daily calorie intake before dinner. If your goal is 1500 calories, that means you should consume 1000 calories at breakfast, lunch and snacks; dinner should be no more than 500 calories. If your evening meal occurs very late, downsize that meal even more and replace those calories earlier in the day.
  

• Include protein and small amounts of fat at breakfast and lunch. If you choose foods high in carbohydrate, such as cereal and milk for breakfast and a yogurt with fruit for lunch, you're setting yourself up for a protein-driven hunger attack. Add a slice of toast with peanut butter to breakfast, and include a sandwich or legume-based soup with lunch to provide more energy and staying power.

• Include foods you enjoy in your daily food choices. Many people have tremendous willpower during the day when working, then get home in the evening and fall apart. If chocolate is your downfall, try a glass of chocolate milk with lunch. If crunching is your urge, add a handful of nuts or seeds as an afternoon snack.