A growling stomach at midnight is no fun. It’s nearly impossible to get to sleep, or stay asleep, ideas become useless when we're hungry.Today I am going to write about
some midnight snack ideas or possible ways to
avoid these midnight cravings. We trudge to the fridge and grab the easiest snack we can find to satisfy our cravings.
We all know it’s not good to eat right before bed or late at night. This type of behavior can throw off our sleep and put any diet out of whack in no time. However, there are ways to bend the rules a bit as long as we have a plan and a supply of healthy snacks on hand at all hours of the day or night.
So, what are some healthy snacks that will satisfy our snack attack, yet not break our diet and keep us up all night?
Here is Our Top 10 Midnight Snack Ideas :
#1. Midnight Snack Ideas - Sage White Bean Dip :
1 (15 oz) can cannelloni beans, rinsed, drained well
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Put rinsed/dried cannelloni beans in bowl and mash with a fork; set
aside.
Put a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add garlic and chopped fresh sage leaves and stir for 2 minutes or
until garlic is fragrant and sage is slightly crispy.
Pour this oil/garlic mixture over the smashed beans in the bowl and
stir.
Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and add salt and pepper to
taste; toss gently.
Serve immediately with veggies, bread sticks, or crackers for
dipping.
#2. Midnight Snack Ideas - Zucchini Italian Fries :
2 medium size zucchini
1 egg white
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
*optional - if you don't have seasoned breadcrumbs, use plain and
add dried oregano or other Italian seasonings to the breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray non-stick cooking spray
on a baking sheet or cookie sheet.
Wash and dry the zucchini, then cut into thin French-fry size and
shape sticks.
Put egg white in a bowl, whisk until frothy, then add milk and whisk
together until combined.
In a separate shallow bowl, put the Parmesan and seasoned
breadcrumbs and mix together.
Put a few zucchini 'French fries' into the egg/milk mixture to coat,
then remove and put in breadcrumb/Parmesan mixture, coating well.
Place on prepared baking sheet, and continue until all zucchini fries
are prepared.
Bake in preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until nicely
browned; turn once during the cooking time.
Remove to a cooling rack and enjoy with any dip you like.
Will make 2 light snacks.
#3. Midnight Snack Ideas - Double Cheese Baked Artichoke Dip :
1 can or jar (14 oz size) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup light cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped green onions
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan, divided
1 cup shredded fresh Mozzarella, divided
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get out a small casserole dish.
In a large bowl, put the artichokes, mayonnaise, cream cheese, garlic
salt, black pepper, green onions, and parsley.
Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup Mozzarella to the bowl and stir
together until everything is well combined.
Turn mixture out into the casserole dish.
Sprinkle the remaining cheeses evenly over the top.
Bake in preheated oven (uncovered) for 25 to 30 minutes or until
bubbling hot and golden brown around the edges and on top.
Serve warm with pita points, crackers, or celery and carrot sticks.
#4. Midnight Snack Ideas - Spiced Garbanzo Crunch With Sweet Surprises :
2 cans (15 oz size) garbanzos, rinsed, drained, and dried well
2 cups small cereal squares (your choice)
1 cup dried pineapple chunks
1 cup raisins
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put dried garbanzos on a large baking sheet and drizzle lightly with
cooking oil (olive oil is fine.)
Bake in preheated oven, stirring around often, until the garbanzos
are browned and crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes total time.
Into a large, shallow roasting pan, put the cereal, pineapple, raisins,
and roasted garbanzo beans; stir to combine.
In a separate small bowl, put the honey, Worcestershire sauce, olive
oil, garlic powder, and chili powder; whisk well.
Evenly drizzle this mixture over the snack mix and toss to coat
everything well.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.
Remove and dump out onto a paper towel covered cooling rack.
Enjoy immediately or let cool completely before storing in an
airtight container.
#5. Midnight Snack Ideas - Chilly Spinach Mushroom Veggie Dip :
1 box (10 oz size) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid
squeezed out
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
3 green onions, chopped fine
Combine all the ingredients, mixing well, in a glass bowl.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Eat cold with fresh veggies for dipping, such as celery, carrots,
cauliflower, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
#6. Midnight Snack Ideas - Almond Cream Cheese Stuffed Olives :
12 very large green olives, pitted
1/2 to 1 cup (more or less) cream cheese, softened
12 Whole roasted salted almonds
Set olives on a small plate. To make them stand up straight, cut just a
tiny bit off the bottom.
Smash the cream cheese until soft and creamy.
Stuff the olives full with cream cheese.
Push an almond into the cream cheese in the olive until cream
cheese swooshes out.
Serve immediately.
This is one of the salty, crunchy, creamy midnight snack ideas that satisfies the taste buds in many ways.
#7 Midnight Snack Ideas - Simplest Salsa Deviled Egg Snack :
1 hard-boiled egg
1 Tbsp salsa
1 tsp chopped parsley
Cut the hard-boiled egg in half and remove the yolk to a small bowl
(set whites on a small plate.)
To the yolk, add the salsa and smash until smooth with a fork.
Spoon the mixture into the empty egg whites.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Double, triple, or quadruple this to enjoy more than one snack.
Use homemade salsa or salsa made with all natural ingredients to
enjoy a very healthy snack.
#8. Midnight Snack Ideas - Cucumber Greek Yogurt Dip :
2 small fresh cucumbers
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Scrub the cucumbers, slice lengthwise and scrape out seeds with a
spoon, discarding the seeds.
Coarse chop the cucumbers and put in food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well blended.
Spoon into a bowl and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for 30
minutes.
Serve with pita chips or fresh raw vegetables as a dip.
#9. Midnight Snack Ideas - Traditional Baba Ghanoush :
1 whole garlic bulb (roasted)
drizzle olive oil
2 eggplants, washed, ends trimmed, cut lengthwise, about 1/4 inch
thick
1 red bell pepper, cleaned and cut into thick strips
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp black pepper
To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice top off a whole
garlic bulb, exposing the cloves, place on a piece of foil (cut side
up), drizzle exposed cloves with olive oil, wrap foil up around the
garlic bulb, and put in oven. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until
garlic cloves are soft.
Meanwhile, heat grill, brush prepared eggplant and red bell pepper
with olive oil, then grill until golden brown, flipping over, and
continue grilling until golden brown and soft. Remove and set aside
to cool.
Remove roasted garlic from oven and let cool enough to handle.
Unwrap and give the bulb a squeeze over a bowl, pushing garlic
cloves out.
Put garlic cloves into your food processor.
Put the grilled eggplant and red bell pepper in food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor.
Pulse until all ingredients blend well and you get a smooth texture.
Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Spoon mixture into a bowl and serve with bread, crackers, or strips
of fresh vegetables such as cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, carrots,
mushrooms, and cauliflower.
#10. Midnight Snack Ideas - Mixed Veggie Salsa :
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced onion
2 cups diced red bell peppers
2 cups diced green bell peppers
2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
In a large glass or plastic bowl, put all the ingredients, mixing gently
to combine.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or other snack cracker. May also be
used to top scrambled eggs for a healthy late night meal or snack.
#11 Midnight Snack Ideas - Late Night Breakfast Sandwich :
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
3 celery stalks, finely diced
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
2 bacon slices, fried crisp and crumbled
4 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted
2 large leaves romaine lettuce, optional
In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt,
and pepper.
Add the onion, celery, eggs, and bacon and mix together gently.
Spread toast slices with butter, or mayonnaise, or mustard if you
like, then spread mixture evenly on toasted bread and top each
sandwich with a lettuce leaf.
This is the perfect way to serve a meal somewhere between dinner
and breakfast, especially when you're not quite ready to eat bacon
and eggs.
#12. Midnight Snack Ideas - Hungry Night Thai Noodles :
4 cups water
2 (3 oz) packages ramen noodles (without seasoning packets)
2 cups bagged coleslaw mix, or shredded cabbage
3 Tbsp peanut butter
4 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp hot chili sauce
peanuts, optional
Put water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Remove saucepan from the heat, add the ramen noodles, stir to break
up, cover saucepan and set aside for 2 minutes.
Drain the ramen noodles into a colander placed in a bowl, reserving
the liquid.
Dump the drained ramen noodles into a big bowl and add 1/2 cup of
the reserved liquid.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the ramen noodles
and toss well until the peanut butter melts.
Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve warm.
Let's Take a Look at a Few Healthier Midnight Snack Ideas .
Keep Fruit Handy
Fruit is an easy, healthy way to satisfy your hunger without blowing your diet. Apple slices with peanut butter, a bowl of grapes or berries, bananas, or orange slices are a few ideas that you can keep
on hand in case of the late night munchies. Besides being healthy, slowly nibbling on fruit that's juicy, crunchy, rich, or just plain sweet satisfies our urge to chew, which is often what's causing our craving
to begin with. We're not so much hungry as just wanting to satisfy our need to nibble.
Veggies Any Time
Although veggies don't seem like the thing you would crave late at night, they are a definite must to help satisfy your urge to snack without blowing your diet. Vegetables are low in fat and calories and
are full of vitamins which are excellent for your overall health. Carrots, celery sticks, cauliflower, cucumber slices, or even radishes can help maintain your diet and still fulfill those cravings.
A tiny bit of dip or salad dressing will help make the veggies more desirable. Again, it is often the chewing urge that gets us up out of bed and standing at the refrigerator. Be sure to have lots and lots of cut up, ready to eat, fresh veggies and you'll be back in bed before you
know it, and without busting your diet wide open, or having stuffed yourself too full to sleep.
Pop Goes the Snack
A small bowl of popcorn can help to satisfy the need to snack, both filling your tummy and giving you something to crunch. Be mindful of the toppings, as this is sometimes where the diet goes astray.
Instead of buttery toppings, try a sprinkle of grated cheese, herbs, or seasonings. If you like a sweet snack at night, try a sprinkle of cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg to create a sweet, satisfying taste.
Popcorn itself is low in calories and high in fiber.
Again, beware of the brand of popcorn and the ingredients listed. Choose the most
natural popcorn you can, then you decide on which healthier toppings to add.
Go Nuts
Nuts are a great snack because a small amount will give you that 'full' feeling. That is because of the fat, which is needed in all diets to give your tummy the signal that it's full. In the case of nuts, the fat is healthy for you, so you get the good nutrients and the satisfaction. This is especially important at night when you want to eat a small amount of food but still feel full so you can get to sleep.
Pecans, cashews, almonds, walnuts, or peanuts are powerhouses of
nutrition to keep on hand at all times, night or day.
Drink Your Fill
Drinking something when you're hungry may not seem like it would satisfy your urge to snack, but a glass of milk or even water can sway those cravings and cause that sleepy, ready-for-bed feeling. Of
course, you can add small amounts of food with your drink, such as a piece of cheese or a few whole wheat crackers. But, sometimes just a tummy filled with a soothing beverage is enough to drive those
cravings away. Make smart beverage choices and see if you can put the munchies to rest before you dive into a snack that will ruin your diet, and possibly your night.
The key to satisfying the midnight munchies in a healthier manner is to be prepared. Keep healthier foods on hand that are easy to grab and nibble on when the cravings hit. Rather than grabbing that deep fried, oil saturated, sugary, or sodium laden junk food, keep a few of
these healthier choices handy so when the urge to snack hits (and it will!) you'll have something to fend off the attack... in a healthier way.
Happy Snacks :)
