Snacks after 8pm

Chug Water with lemon and don't eat.

My new snack is snow peas, a type of slightly sweet, crunchy bean. Only 25 calories for 1 cup or 100 calories for a whole bag. I eat them plain or with a little hummus (I have to watch the calories on the hummus, but it's healthy). The snow peas are very high in vitamins and other nutrients.

There's nothing magical about the time between 8 PM and 11 PM. If you can fit the snack into your budget, eating it at 9:30 won't make anything happen that wouldn't have happened if you had eaten the snack at 7:30 instead (except for maybe, like, heartburn? if that's a concern for you, eating something and then lying down shortly thereafter?).

That said, hot herbal tea makes a very pleasant evening treat for basically no calories, as long as you don't put milk or sugar in it. There's about a million flavors of tea blends out there, you're bound to find something that tastes nice with no or minimal sweetener or creamer in it for you. I like chamomile or mint, personally.

This is my hardest time of day too. I find my willpower drops if I'm sitting on the couch watching TV and relaxing. I've been trying to fill my evenings with exercise instead, and then going to bed early and reading there, as I don't have the same temptations in bed as I do on the couch.

I have also had success choosing the RIGHT snacks in the evening...for me, that something that will satisfy my "snack" craving, but not send me into a binge. Example: I can't have candy at that time of day, but I can have a bowl of cereal and milk.

So much it trail and error for what works for you. Think about what you are really struggling with, and then create situations where you set yourself up for success, or at least avoid situations where you KNOW you will have trouble.

Nothing wrong with eating a snack before bed if that's what you need and that works with your plan. Ultimately it comes down to this: Would a snack before bed fit into your calories and prevent bigger snacks later? If the answer's yes to that, then great!

With a bedtime snack you probably want something soothing and filling. I find that if I eat something small and take a while, it's more filling than not.

Suggestions for snacks before bed, both calorie and non:

A quarter cup of fat free cottage cheese. I like mine sprinkled with dill.
Half a cut up bell pepper with low calorie salad dressing as dip. The red ones are awesome and have a ton of vitamin C!

A meat stick - you can get turkey ones that are 60 calories, or beef/venison that are around 90 calories

An ounce a cheese

A half ounce of cheese thinly sliced with low cal crackers (I know a brand of black sesame crackers that are 60 calories for 8)

A cup of soothing herbal tea

An apple, a cup of berries, an orange, or other fruit

A cup of low cal hot cocoa or spiced apple cider - you can easily find or make versions that are around 20 cal

Greek yogurt with sugar free pudding mixed in - mega tasty

Air popped popcorn (you can dress this up so many ways)

Crackers or rice cakes with PBFit/PB2/PB and Me or other powdered peanut butter mixed with a little water to make a spreadable consistency

A few cubes of chicken breast, turkey breast, or other lean meat

An ounce of chocolate (chocolate chips rock as they can be eaten slowly)

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okay, there are so many other suggestions I could give but there are a TON of low calorie snacks (I picked all things that were 150 cal or less) out there. So much depends on what your dietary needs are and what your personal tastes are. Think outside the box