Snack smart and choose easy-to-digest foods at night

Nutritionists advise late-night snackers to opt for easy-to-digest foods like nuts and seeds

Hyderabad: With late-night snacking becoming a trend of late, people are increasingly concerned about the effects of eating late at night. Experts recommend not suppressing hunger and going to bed, but recommend being mindful of what you eat and choosing healthy snacks even after bedtime.

Hyderabad’s food streets — from Gachibowli, Kukatpally’s DLF lanes to necklace chains — have been bustling with late-night crowds for everything from crepes to shawarma, noodles to kebabs lately.

Almost every major location in the city has come up with its own version of a late-night food street, making Hyderabad a city that never sleeps. Even at 3am, you can see the food store packed with customers.

“These joints are there to feed people when they’re hungry, but what we choose to eat is up to us,” says nutritionist Meghna Soni. Most of us have heard that eating after 8pm is bad for our health. “At night, the body goes into a rest phase and the metabolism slows down. When you eat a high-calorie meal, the body needs time to digest it,” she explains.

Nutritionists point out that this can lead to acid reflux and negatively impact blood sugar management, leading to serious health problems in the long run. People who eat dinner must remember to eat small amounts of low-calorie foods that are easy to digest. “Food stays in your body for too long and it loses its nutrients,” she says.

People who work shifts in the cemetery will be able to digest the food they consume in moderation according to their work. “Eat a complete meal, including protein, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins, and then break up the rest of the meal into smaller portions,” Meghner says, recommending that they stick to easy-to-digest foods.

Allowing enough time between meals allows the body’s metabolism to work more efficiently and break down the food we eat easily. “Give at least two hours between meals so that the food is easy to digest. Breaking up the breaks can sometimes lead to metabolic changes,” says Meghna.

Some healthy late-night snacks are granola bars, almonds, dates, fruit, fox nuts, protein bars, nuts and seeds.