Dietary Tips for those who Work Late Night

There is always a common suggestion – Do not eat after 8 p.m., but advice about eating at night is misleading. Reality is that “What you eat is much more important than when you eat”? Our body is designed to work in the day and rest at night. But because of work pressure and to meet our targets, we tend to work till late nights and try to keep our focus and concentration. It is obvious that not only our mind but our body needs energy to work. So how do we ensure that we are not only eating healthy but also taking care of these late-night food cravings. After all who likes to put on weight after eating junk or unhealthy food and give invitations to life threatening diseases, isn’t it?

Below are some of the dietary tips to eat late at night:

Do’s

• Protein rich smoothies: Smoothies are an easy and tasty way to sneak in protein-rich milk before bed. A milk-based smoothie supplies protein for muscle repair and tryptophan, which is used to make sleep-promoting brain chemicals. Definitely, a good choice for meals and snacks eaten during an evening or late-night work shift.
•  Banana with almonds or almond butter: Bananas are one of the few fruits known to be relatively rich in the nerve messenger serotonin, some of which your body converts to melatonin. Almonds and almond butter supply some melatonin as well. Plus, they’re a good source of healthy fats, vitamin E and magnesium. Magnesium has been linked to good sleep, since it may support your body’s production of melatonin.
• Eat healthy and low-carb foods at night: Since low-carb foods are digested easily. Eating heavy food at night will disrupt your sleep and you will may feel light-headed the next day.  
• Spice up your dinner meals: Spices increase warmth in your body and may also aid weight loss by curbing appetite. Add more spices like cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek and cardamom to your evening meals. Spices come with many health benefiting properties besides lending aromatic flavors to your food.
• Focus on the food you eat: Don't watch TV or be distracted by too much conversation. Eating food with attention becomes meditation, and when you are eating with awareness, you will not eat too much; you will eat just the right amount
• Avoid salt after 7pm: Salt is supposed to increase the water retention in the body. As we go on hogging more sodium in our dinners, we put our heart and blood vessels to a greater risk of overnight blood pressure.
• Keep yourself hydrated: Keep yourself hydrated with water instead of caffeinated or preserved beverages. Ensure that you drink at least 8-10 glasses of water.
• Have light meals: Since large meals can also decrease alertness and makes you sleepy, smaller meals should be eaten during the night shift. Snack lightly during your shift. After your work shift is over but before you go to sleep, eat a small, light meal which should be a balanced combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. At night, your body naturally slows down digestion and the metabolic process, so eating a small meal will provide better quality sleep and get digested easily. 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. is the time when you tend to feel more tired and sleepy. This is because your body is naturally programmed to be resting around this time. You need to choose healthy protein option which will give you the burst of energy without making you sleepy. Try to eat your main meal before the late work shift starts or continues, preferably at regular dinner time between 5:00 p.m. To 7:00 p.m. 

Dont's 

• Reduce your intake of preserved and packaged foods and go for fresh preparations instead. 
• Limit your daily caffeine intake to no more than 2 - 3 cups of tea/coffee. 
• Never go to bed hungry as it may lead to disturbed sleep and make you restless.
• Avoid large meals during the working hours. 
• Avoid potato chips, french fries or a fatty meat burger with cheese or any fried food which takes longer to digest and contribute to weight gain.

Some healthy night snacking options which you can choose from:

• Dry cereals and grain salads such as couscous, quinoa, bulgur and barley 
• Pitas, breads, with hummus and vegetables 
• Vegetables with cottage cheese 
• Fresh fruit juices 
• Fresh vegetable juices 
• Dry roasted rice flakes with salt and pepper seasoning. 
• Peanut or Almond butter with fruit
• Hummus with lavash or raw vegetables like carrots. 
• Low fat yogurt and chopped fruits.
• Fruit shakes made with low-fat milk, with ground flax seed or other tree nuts. 
• Boiled eggs salads with steamed or lightly sautéed vegetables. 
• Sandwiches made with low-fat meats like chicken and fish with vegetables. 
• Bean salad with vegetables 
• Trail mix or nuts, seeds, dried fruits. Trail mix ingredients, such as walnuts and dried cranberries, contain sleep-promoting melatonin. Measure your trail mix portions to avoid excess calories.

You may try to put some time into ‘batch cooking’ or what is called as ‘meal preparation’ on your off days or weekends, by making larger batches of healthy food. Stock up for when you’re working, and you may have it at your comfort. This will help to refrain from using vending machines at work and from eating restaurant food too often. It will not only save your money but also keep you away from what is known as ‘binge eating’.