Some people tend to feel hungry at night. This causes them to have a late snacking. However, late snacking can cause weight gain and harm to our organ since they still have to process the food that going to our body instead having a rest.
But how if you really have to munch at night? Fruits can be a good choices at that time. Since fruits contain vitamins, fiber, minerals and phytochemicals that have many health benefits. And eating a fruit at night is healthier than eating the ordinary snacks packed with unhealthy sugar and fat. Some experts even say that eating some types of fruits in night time gives you better sleep quality.
Recommendation Fruits Intake at Night
Here are some fruits that you can try while late snacking and the health benefits of eating fruit at night:
1. Cherries
For a snack before bed, cherries might be a good option. Cherries contain melatonin – a hormone that induces sleep. Research proves that consuming cherries late at night might give you a good quality of sleep. Moreover, this can be a good solution for insomnia sufferer. There are many more Benefits of Cherries For Health and Beauty
2. Banana
Bananas contain nutrients which will help you relax on bed. They are potassium and magnesium. These nutrients help by relaxing your muscles, resulting in a restful night. Bananas are also high in carbohydrates, which have been shown to make you sleepy by producing tryptophan and flow it to the brain. If you are bored by having bananas every night, you can spread cherry jam to your banana. There are more Benefits of Banana
3. Strawberries
Strawberries taste great, it contains antioxidants and vitamin C that helps you in resting. Strawberries provide low calories, so you should not have to worry about weight gain while late snacking. Best recipes to enjoy with strawberries are low sugar and high protein cereal combines with some strawberries and blueberries. Not only the fruit is useful, even there are Health Benefits of Strawberry Leaves
4. Grapefruit
Grape fruit can also be an alternative choice since it contains lycopene, an antioxidant in the body that has been shown to improve the way you sleep. It is included as healthy and hydrating fruits. Lycopene substances also help to reduce heart disease and cancer and has anti-aging benefits. Grapefruit is good for dehidration as well since 82% of it composed by water. If it is calculated, then a serving of grapes cost to 1/3 cup of water. There are more Health Benefits of Grapefruit
5. Watermelon
Maybe some of you wonder how can watermelon be a good late night snack since there is a pro and contra that it is useless to eat a watermelon while we are having hard time to sleep. Well, you don’t have to worry since watermelon is rich in lycopene and lycopene helps you to have a better sleep. Perhaps, if you run out of watermelon at home, you can substitute it with melon or honeydew.
6. Apples and pears
Now it is the easiest material that we can almost found in every household. Yes, they are apples and pears. Apples and pears also make good nighttime snack options while we try to lose weight. You don’t have to make any complicated preparation cause the crunch of the skin and meat of the fruit can be satisfying enough for your diet.
7. Avocado
You can enjoy healthy salad avocado at night or even some smashed avocado on toast. It improves the quality of your sleep and according to the research, it contains more nutrients that are needed by our body.
Reasons on why fruits are good to consume before bed
First, fruits are low in fat, low in calories and full of vitamin and nutrients that our body needs. After our body had worked hard because of activities from morning to evening, we need to recharge our energy and nutrients. Some people take it in a wrong way.
1. Recharge Energy
They thought that consuming food that are full of fat and calories are the best way to recharge their energy. However, not only junk foods can recharge our energy, even fresh fruits can do so.
2. Best Diet
Second, there is no doubt that fruit is an good choice for healthy diet program. Fruits contain natural sugar rather than sweet snack foods that contain chemical sugar.
3. Healthy Snacking
Three, because of the natural sugar that it contains, fruits are always the best sweet treats at night rather than candy, cake or ice cream that will make us feel sick if consuming it in an excessive amount. To avoid the boredom in consuming fruits in a same way, you can vary the way you serve it by searching an unique yet healthy recipes in the internet.
4. Contains Fiber
Four, fruits are high in fibre. This is a fact that never change. Fibre helps in controlling high level of blood sugar. People who consumes high intake of fibre tend to eat less of food which will help in diet program.
Alternative foods that brings you to a deep sleep
Here are more health benefits of eating fruit at night and it recommendation:
1. Milk
Milk contains amino acid tryptophan which can relax our mind.
2. Turkey
The same as milk, turkey contains tryptophan, a chemical that can doze people off. Research even prove that having turkey before going to bed is a good solution for insomnia.
3. Sweet potato and dried fruits
Sweet potato are a sleeper’s dream. Not only do they provide sleep-promoting carbohydrates, they also contain muscle relaxant potassium. There are much more Health Benefits of Dried Fruits
Fruit recipes before bed
To get health benefits of eating fruit at night, here are the recipes:
1. Yoghurt banana
Materials:
- A banana
- 1 small cup of yoghurt
- 2-3 drops of lemon water
- A teaspoon honey
- 1/2 spoon of Mustard seed
- 1-2 teaspoon coriander leaves that had bee minced
salt
Steps:
Cut the banana to some pieces and place it to a medium bowl. Add three drops of lemon juice. Put yoghurt, honey, mustard seed, coriander leaves and salt to it. Mix it well and it is ready to be served.
2. Fruits salad
Material:
- 200 gr fresh apples that has been cut
- 200 gr grapes fruit
- 200 gr mango
- 200 gr strawberries
- 200 gr lettuce
Material for sauce:
- Mayonaise 150 ml
- 2 teaspoon cheese that has been shredded
- 2 teaspoon condensed milk
- A teaspoon of lime
- half teaspoon of shredded lime skin
Steps:
Put all of the fruits to the refrigerator, then, mix all materials for sauce except cheese, take out the fruits from the fridge and mix them with the sauce. Lastly, Add the cheese on the top. It is ready to enjoy.
3. Strawberries banana ice cream
Materials:
- 200 gr strawberries
- 2 bananas
Steps:
First, you need to rinse the strawberries with tap water. Put them in freezer. Cut banana to pieces and freeze it. After the fruits freeze, put them in a blender and blend it. Then, place it in a plate and keep it in a freezer since it is better to be served cold.
Things that you should aware
However, it is better to not consume fruits in a large amount since consuming food or fruits excessively can resulted in weight gain. An excessive intake of fruit can also lead to gastro- intestinal discomfort due to too much fibre and acid.
Consuming one to two servings of fruit a day is enough. It is good if you have another food alternative than fruits; such as nuts , vegetables or juice. Drinking fruit juice before bed is a good choice too. Fruit juice is also a source of hidden calories. However, it is much better if you can consume fruits directly rather than juices or dried fruits.
Pros and cons
For years, this has been an issue in the medical world. Some people believe that fruits do not have any good impact in our sleeping time. However, some people just prove that it actually works for them and it leads to their successful diet. Actually, there is not a definite answer to this issue. Everyone is Free to have their own opinion. It is back to you whether you will believe it or not.
Foods that should be avoided before bed
Thus, after knowing the health benefits of eating fruit at night, here are the list of food not to take at night:
1. Pizza
Acidic tomato sauce from can cause stomachache. Besides that, it contains lot of calories which fail diet program.
2. Coffee
Caffeine that it contains can stay in our body for hours later. Caffeine can affect the quality of our sleep time.
3. Sugary cereal
Kids are suggested to have a low- sugar, high-fibre kind. Sugary cereal can cause high blood sugar which will awake you from your deep sleep.
4. Spicy food
Spicy foods do stimulate taste bud. Besides it will irritate stomach, it can cause Heartburn which will distract us from our sleep.
Overall, those are the healthy benefit of eating fruit before bed. People who eat fruit as a healthy diet have reduce the probability of suffering a chronic disease. Medical suggests people to consume half plate of fruits and vegetables a day for leading a healthy life.