How to Curb Late Night Snacking

By Jenelle Croatto APD

You’ve made great food choices all day, clocked up those 10,000 steps and even organised lunch for the following day - but somehow, once the sun goes down you find yourself zonking out in front of the TV with your favourite snack in hand.  If this sounds like you, you’re not alone!  After dinner snacks trip up many of us, but with a few simple tricks you can easily put the brakes on those late-night munchies.

GET DINNER RIGHT                                                                                       
Will power is only enough to get the party started – so, if you’re serious about cutting out the late night snacks you need to eat a proper dinner.  Whatever meal you fancy, ensure you eat a combo of the following: ¼ plate lean protein (e.g. meats, fish, eggs, dairy or legumes), ¼ plate slow release carbs (e.g. sweet potato, long grain rice, pasta or quinoa) and ½ plate of colourful vegetables. 

CLEAN UP & STEP AWAY FROM THE KITCHEN
If the remnants of dinner continue to lurk around, it becomes hard to resist should you walk by the kitchen.  Give the kitchen a good clean up and mentally tell yourself the kitchen is closed until morning.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH
You need to try this trick! When you feel a craving coming on, simply go brush your teeth.  Apart from the momentary distraction this provides, ice-cream and Dorito’s just don’t seem as appealing with a freshly clean mouth.

KEEP THOSE HANDS BUSY
Cosy up with a cup of herbal tea, read a good book, give yourself a mani-pedi or perhaps busy yourself with a few household chores.  Remember – busy fingers can’t feed your mouth food.

RID YOUR HOUSE OF JUNK FOOD
It’s really hard to eat chocolate if its just not there!  Remove the temptation by giving your pantry/fridge a clean out and ensure you’ve stocked up on plenty of nutritious food. That way, should you find yourself feeling real belly hunger; you know you’re going to snack right.

HIT THE HAY
This one’s a no-brainer… If dinner was at 6:00pm and you’re still burning the oil at 11:00pm, you’re naturally going to notice hunger creeping back as your meal has long   left your stomach.  An earlier bedtime means you’ll also have a restorative sleep, which can really help to control your appetite hormones for the following day.

Photo credit: fitday.com