Cravings always seem to strike late at night, right before bed. Or maybe you woke up in the middle of the night with your stomach rumbling and now you’re scrolling, searching for the best healthy late-night snack ideas. Look no further!
No, we’re not going to point you towards celery or rice cakes. Just because you can’t overload your system with sugar doesn’t mean you can’t genuinely enjoy some evening munchies. You just have to look beyond the basic grocery store options and get a little creative.
From meat chips, the best late-night protein snacks to help with recovery, to stuff that helps you sleep better, like tart cherries, you have tons of options. Find your new favorite guilt-free indulgence below!
Our Criteria For the “Best” Late-Night Snack
You obviously don’t want to spike your energy with sugar right before bed. But there are quite a few other factors influencing what makes something the best late-night snack. Here’s what we think matters most:
- High in protein to keep you full and support overnight recovery.1
- Low in sugar, because bedtime blood sugar spikes will absolutely wreck your sleep quality.
- Minimal prep so you don’t have to fumble around in the kitchen.
You don’t want anything greasy that’s going to sit heavy in your stomach, either. Or anything spicy/acidic that will wake you up in 3 hours with acid reflux.
Our Favorite Healthy Late-Night Snack Ideas
The list of yummy, healthy late-night snack ideas gets narrowed down pretty quickly. But that doesn’t mean compromising. We’ve handpicked our 10 favorites, starting with what we believe is the BEST late-night protein snack.
1. Carnivore Snax Meat Chips
These are just two ingredients: regeneratively raised meat and salt. That’s it. You get a bunch of protein and healthy fats with zero sugar, carbs, or other nasty stuff that’ll hold you back from sleeping.
There are so many varieties to choose from, too. The ribeye chips have a rich, buttery melt that starts crispy and dissolves on your tongue. Meanwhile, pork chips deliver that deep, bacon-esque flavor that you can never seem to get enough of. Brisket chips, steak chips, the list goes on and on. Stock up today and see what makes them the #1 choice.
2. Tart Cherries (or Tart Cherry Juice)
This is one of the best late-night snack ideas when you are having a lot of trouble actually falling asleep at night. Tart cherries – or tart cherry juice – actually help knock you out! They literally have melatonin in them, and sleep experts endorse them all the time.2 Maybe not the most exciting (or even enjoyable) snack, but super functional.
3. Cottage Cheese With Your Favorite Toppings
Another one that probably won’t win any awards in the flavor department, but it’s one of the best late-night protein snack options you have at your disposal. Cottage cheese is loaded in casein protein – the slow-digesting kind of protein. That matters because your muscles get fed all night long. You can add in some berries, granola, or anything else to make it a little more palatable.
4. A Banana With Peanut Butter
Basic but it works, and it’s one of the better whole-food snacks you have in your pantry right now. Bananas have both tryptophan and magnesium, both of which are linked to better sleep quality. Meanwhile, peanut butter brings you healthy fats and protein. This combination is the sweet spot (pun intended) of sweet and savory.
5. Popcorn (Ideally Air-Popped)
We get it. Sometimes you just want something crunchy at night. Popcorn can satisfy that craving if you’re careful with how you prepare it. There are some decent store-bought options, but we advocate for popping your own at home. This way you know what ingredients you’re consuming.
6. Unsweetened Nuts and Seeds
Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds – there are so many options, and they’re all packed with protein and healthy fats. They can also help satisfy those crunchy cravings that come up. Pumpkin seeds in particular are a perfect bedtime snack because they have magnesium. Just make sure that no matter the nuts/seeds you choose, you go with raw or dry roasted.
7. Greek Yogurt With Berries
Greek yogurt is a great healthy late-night snack because you get between 10-20g of protein per cup (depending on the brand). You can spice things up a bit with some blueberries, strawberries, or even some dark chocolate and granola for something more filling. Yogurt also has probiotics to help with digestion while you sleep.
8. Boiled Eggs With Seasoning
Boring, yeah. But quite literally a superfood. Eggs are great any time of day, not just for breakfast. You can batch-prep them on Sunday and have a good surplus in the fridge for any time you feel peckish and want some extra protein and fat. Throw some paprika on, or dip them in hot sauce if you’re feeling crazy.
9. Avocado Toast
Another food you’d think is just for breakfast – but it works really well as a late-night snack, too! You get healthy fats, fiber, and a surprising amount of potassium. It takes less than 2 minutes to prepare, and the fats will slowly digest all through the night.
10. A Protein Smoothie
The most customizable option on this list. You can blend protein powder, a frozen banana, a handful of spinach, and milk or water. We love this one when we’re craving ice cream but don’t want to binge a bunch of added sugar.
Snacks to Steer Clear of Before Bed
We’ve covered the best late-night snack ideas. But there are a few things that are SO bad for you before bed that they deserve special mention. Here’s what to avoid late at night (or really anytime, for that matter):
- Sugary cereals, candy, or cookies. Blood sugar crashes can ruin your sleep quality.
- Anything spicy, because acid reflux only gets worse when you lie down.
- Fried or greasy food because it’ll sit in your stomach like a 25lb dumbbell and make it impossible to sleep well.
Use your best judgment. You probably know in your gut if something is a good option before bed or not. If you have to second-guess yourself, the answer is probably no.
When Should You Have Your Last Nibble Before Bed?
We want to be clear in saying that eating right before bed is certainly not ideal. Your body needs time to digest what’s in your stomach before you go horizontal. In a perfect world, you’d have your last bite at least an hour before bed.
Obviously that’s not always realistic. Whether it’s a late-night workout, a tough work shift, or you just woke up so hungry that you can’t fall back asleep, just keep it light before bed.
Support Restorative Sleep With the Best Late-Night Protein Snack
Your body needs resources to do its recovery work while you sleep. So, give it what it needs with the best late-night protein snack – carnivore chips. They’re not just the #1 carnivore diet snacks, either. Anyone can enjoy them. See what the hype is all about today!
Related Snack Resources
Bulking snacks | Snacks for cutting | Snacks for college students
References
- Snijders T, Res PT, Smeets JS, et al. Protein Ingestion before Sleep Increases Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Prolonged Resistance-Type Exercise Training in Healthy Young Men. J Nutr. 2015;145(6):1178-84. PubMed
- Cleveland Clinic. Do Cherries Help You Sleep? Cleveland Clinic
