Top Nighttime Snacks to Boost Your Weight Loss Goals!

Creating a calorie deficit is the only way to encourage weight loss. To achieve a calorie deficit, you’ll need to reduce your overall calorie intake, increase your activity levels, or do both.

Choosing lower-calorie and satiating meals and snacks can help make the weight loss process easier by helping you feel fuller and take in fewer calories throughout your day.

While overeating at any time of day can make hitting your weight loss goals harder, well-balanced nighttime snacks can fit into most healthy weight loss plans. However, when hunger strikes at night, it’s important to choose nutritious, filling, and weight-loss-friendly options.

1. Greek Yogurt Top Nighttime Snacks to Boost Your Weight Loss Goals!

Creamy, filling, and nutritious Greek yogurt is an excellent nighttime snack option. It’s packed with protein, providing 20 grams (g) of protein per 7-ounce (oz) serving, which is nearly double the amount found in regular yogurt.

Protein is the most satiating macronutrient and helps you feel full after eating by slowing digestion and stimulating the release of satiety hormones like peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK). Choosing protein-rich nighttime snacks, like Greek yogurt, can help you regulate your calorie intake, which is essential for weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.

A study that included data on 65,799 children and adults found that compared to non-consumers, people who regularly consumed yogurt were 23% less likely to be overweight or obese.

Try mixing Greek yogurt with delicious and nutrient-dense ingredients like berries and cinnamon to create a naturally sweet snack.

2. Apple Slices and Peanut Butter

Pairing crunchy, fiber-filled apple slices with smooth peanut butter creates a snack that can satisfy your sweet and salty cravings at night.

Peanut butter is packed with plant-based protein, which supports appetite regulation. It contains 7.01 g of protein per 2-tablespoon (tbsp) serving and can be spread on apple slices for a filling snack.

Apples are low in calories and provide fiber, which is another nutrient that boosts feelings of fullness after eating. A large apple contains 5.35 g of fiber, which covers 19% of the Daily Value (DV) for fiber (28 g). Combining sources of protein and fiber, like apples and peanut butter, can help support weight loss.

In addition to encouraging weight loss, research shows that adding apples to your diet is an effective way to reduce markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), in people with obesity. Reducing inflammation can support overall health and reduce the risk of certain health conditions, like heart disease.

3. Protein Shake

If you’re in the mood for something sweet at night, consider whipping up a protein shake. A simple protein shake made with whey protein, frozen fruit, and unsweetened milk or plant-based milk can help you feel full and may support weight loss and improvements in body composition.

A research review that included nine studies found that people who were considered overweight or had obesity and supplemented with whey protein experienced significant reductions in body weight and body fat compared to participants in a placebo group.

Drinking a protein shake before bed has also been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis rates while you sleep, which can help you reach your body composition goals.

4. Hummus and Vegetables

Hummus and veggies is a savory nighttime snack option that offers major health benefits.

Hummus is packed with protein, with a half-cup serving providing 9.5 g. The same serving supplies 6.75 g of fiber, which covers 24% of the DV. The high fiber and protein content of hummus makes it a smart choice for promoting weight loss.

Studies show that chickpea and hummus consumers may be as much as 53% less likely to become obese than non-consumers. Hummus and vegetables, like peppers and broccoli, also provide essential vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, folate, and vitamin A, all of which play critical roles in health.

5. Cheese and Fruit

Pair a few slices of cheese with fresh fruit for a quick, filling, and nutritious nighttime snack. Cheese is rich in protein, and fruit provides fiber, which can help you feel full after eating.

Though all cheeses are high in protein, parmesan cheese is especially rich in this nutrient, packing 10.1 g per ounce.

Snacking on salty parmesan cheese with naturally sweet fruit, like berries or a sliced peach, is a nutritious way to satisfy your nighttime hunger pangs.

6. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a high-protein dairy product that can be used to make sweet or savory satisfying nighttime dishes. It contains an impressive 23.5 g of protein per cup and is an excellent, weight-loss-friendly snack or meal option.

Top cottage cheese with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs for a savory dish. For a nutritious, high-protein dessert, you can also mix cottage cheese with berries, cinnamon, nut butter, or even dark chocolate chips.

7. Nuts

Nuts are a popular snack choice that can be incorporated into almost any diet, including plant-based, low-carb, and high-protein diets. Most nuts are high in protein and fiber, making them particularly filling.

Almonds and pistachios are some of the highest-protein nuts, providing 6.1 g and 5.73 g of protein per ounce, respectively. To create a simple, filling nighttime snack, mix an ounce of roasted nuts with an ounce of dried fruit, like unsweetened dried cherries.

Dried cherries may help you get a better night’s sleep as cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you can still enjoy nighttime snacks and meals while staying on track with your weight loss goals. However, it’s best to choose meals and snacks made with weight loss-friendly foods, such as those high in protein and fiber. For example, Greek yogurt, eggs, nuts, fruit, and protein shakes all make for filling and nutritious nighttime snacks.

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