Snacks after 8pm

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

WandaBperfect wrote: »

I have struggled to get my calories in ever since I connected my fitbit. Since I get bonus calories every day for being active but can't predict exactly how many, I have been searching for the ideal evening snack. I usually find myself trying to fit in 100 cal. worth of carbs but have no sugar left. One day I needed protein but no fat. I was happy to discover that I can pop corn in the microwave with no fat at all. It has no sugar (which is unusual for a carb). I used to have cereal and skim milk in the evening if I have enough sugar coming and need protein as well as carbs. I think what works for me is actually tracking what I plan to eat and looking at the totals. If I don't like what I see I delete and try something else. Just keep a supply of possibile foods in your pantry and fridge so you can be flexible.

One needn't be that exact, IMO.

Staying within calorie goal (or close) is what's needful for weight management, directly. (Other things can have indirect effects).

Nutritionally, protein and fat are "essential nutrients", in the technical sense that our bodies can't manufacture them out of other intake, so we need to eat some. So, many people here treat protein and fats as minimums, don't worry about going over them, as long as within calories, and not consistently and significantly under on either one. (Personally, I also have a minimum I want for servings of veggies/fruits, but that's just a personal thing. When I do that, fiber and micros pretty much take care of themselves.)

With the fats, if one wants to be detailed, it's good to get some mono/polyunsaturated fats in the mix, not get too much sat fat all the time; maybe consider omega-3/omega-6 balance. But that's details.

Carbs are more individual: Some people find that if they eat "too many" it increases their cravings/appetite. Some people find that if they eat "too few" it decreases their energy level. People can experiment, but it doesn't matter for weight loss what the answer is. (I ignore them, let them fall where they may, which tends to be in the high 40s percents of calories - couple of hundred grams in maintenance.)

So, if you have calories left, but are short on protein or fats (by a significant fraction), maybe it makes sense to top those up with a snack. If you go over the other one when you do so, no big deal.

If you've got the calories to spare, got in a reasonable amount of protein, fats, and veggies/fruits (or micros/fiber if you prefer to look at it that way), there's really no reason IMO not to have whatever you think sounds tasty, even less nutrient-dense treat foods, as long as it's not something that's literally poisonous, an allergen for you, or contraindicated by some health condition or medication that applies to you.

That said:

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