

An apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter.Other steamed or raw vegetables like grape tomatoes or snap peas.Vegetables (carrots, broccoli) with hummus.

But if you’re in the need of something sweet, there are options that won’t do too much damage: “If you’re really hungry, steamed or raw vegetables is the best way to go,” says Supan. Maybe work keeps you up late or your eating schedule gets thrown off and you need, well, something. What’s OK to eat before bed?Īgain, the best-case scenario is that you don’t eat anyth i ng before bed. But it’s also mindless eating,” says Supan. “At night is when we eat the unhealthy stuff - chips, cookies, ice cream - as part of our nighttime relaxation routine. “But our insulin resistance kicks up at night.” The result is that those extra calories coming from your late-night meal or snack are stored as fat while you sleep instead of being burned throughout the day.Īnother reason that eating late is bad is because that’s when we tend to make less healthy decisions about what we consume. “That’s to help fuel our bodies, get us moving and get us through the day,” explains Supan. Your body is more sensitive in the morning on purpose. It’s all about the way your body adjusts its insulin sensitivity. “When you eat late at night, you’re going against your body’s circadian rhythm,” she says. No, you shouldn’t eat before bed, says Supan, and one reason is because of the way your body functions. Supan outlines the good and the bad about eating before bed and what’s OK to eat if you have to. But, she adds, that’s not always realistic. The truth is, you should avoid eating before bed, says registered dietitian Alexis Supan, RD. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
