Is it Okay to Snack at Night?

I’m sure that we’ve all heard it before…”eating a snack at night will make you gain weight.” Diet culture has engrained this belief in us that eating past 6:00PM means that food is automatically stored as fat. Umm…not quite.

Let’s chat about what’s actually true, why you may be snacking at night, and more.

Let’s Chat About It

So what’s the deal…are snacks eaten at night actually processed in your body differently? Here’s what I have to say about it.

Food that you consume at night or in the middle of the night is still food. There isn’t anything different about that food compared to food you eat first thing in the morning. Your body doesn’t know any different between a snack eaten at 3:00PM or 10:00PM.

Why has this become such a controversial topic then? It’s been thought that our metabolism slows or stops when we’re sleeping. Let’s get this out there once and for all, our metabolisms never stop or shut down. Our body is always functioning, even when we’re asleep. That means that if you eat something then go to bed, it will be metabolized.

Yes, during the day we’re more active so food may be metabolized quicker or a bit differently, but regardless, our food is always processed and broken down within the body. There’s no reason why you should avoid eating at night if you’re hungry because you’re afraid of the food being automatically stored as fat. Doesn’t work like that.

What’s Your Reason for Snacking?

Something I want to discuss is the underlying reason why most people snack or feel that they’re super hungry at night. Let me set the stage. It’s 11:00PM, you’re ravenous, and before you know it, a pint of ice cream is gone.

If you resonate with that statement and always feel that you’re super hungry at night, there’s a 99% chance that you’re not eating enough during the day. This could be intentional through dieting (eye roll) or unintentional, but it usually means that you need to look at what you’re doing during the day.

I’ve been in the position where I sometimes won’t eat enough during the day due to my schedule or the stress of college, but my body makes up for it at night. That’s natural! My body finally calmed down from the stress of the day and remembers that it’s hungry. The body wants food, and is demanding it. But, it can be frustrating as a person to feel this wave of hunger come at night when we’ve been taught that having a snack (or multiple) at night is “bad.”

The only way to combat this is to eat more during the day. No more saving calories, because it’s going to catch up with you at some point. Having adequate meals that are filled with protein, fats, and CARBS (hint, hint), are essential to feeling satisfied. If you’re missing this (especially the carbs) during the day, you’re body is going to crave it at night.

Now there are going to be days when you eat adequately during the day, but you’re still super hungry at night. That’s okay! Our body is always fluctuating, so that’s expected. When it’s a recurring thing, that’s when you might want to take a deeper look.

Taking it Day by Day

Having a snack at night is totally normal and something that I always do. This can differ by person, but it can even differ day to day.

Some days, my snacks look like a piece of chocolate, while others it’s two bowls of cereal. Again, our bodies fluctuate based on hormones, physical activity, stress, etc, so it’s normal to have different levels of hunger most days.

Maybe one night you’re watching a movie with friends and they bring snacks. Even if you’re not “hungry,” you’ll probably want to snack for the social experience. This is 100% normal and part of life. This is eating based on emotions and experiences. We don’t always need to be physically hungry to eat.

I hope that by now you’ve realized that there’s nothing wrong with having a snack at night. It’s important to figure out how eating at night makes you feel and your reasoning behind it. Personally, I sleep better when I eat something a few hours before so that I don’t wake up hungry. Some people feel sick if they eat before bed, so it’s all a trial and error. Whatever makes you feel best is what you should let guide you.

Here’s a key takeaway I want you to get from this… Our bodies are not clocks and don’t know the difference between times of day. If you’re hungry at night…EAT. Depriving your body of nourishment is 10x more “unhealthy” than eating food at night.

xoxo