Night time munchies...get me everytime!
 

I just can't seem to keep myself on track once I get home for the day. At work I eat healthy all day and once I'm home it's like my cupboards start calling my name. I try to keep myself in check but then someone will start eating something I like and BANG...I'm right there with my hand in the bag. I need to find healthy snacks that will make me feel like I'm not missing out. Does anyone have any good healthy snacks they can suggest?

Is hot-air popped popcorn a possibility? Put a tbsp of parmesan cheese on it, if so. Any water-based fruit will help, if that's appealing - some winter nights, I just don't want grapefruit or cantaloupe, though, so I could understand that. A mug of diet cocoa? A mug of noodle soup? Hmm... Can you go to a different room and start a project (clean out a drawer, organize something)?

if you have enough calories to wiggle peanut butter on celery, plain nonfat yogurt with flax seed and chopped fruit, a turkey sausage, a baked apple, a granola bar, a handfull of mixed nuts or a meat wrap those are all great filling options.

if you have like no calories to spare then chewing gum or ice helps, as does drinking green tea or plenty of water.

I am on the beach, but have others in the house who are not. While they are supportive of my efforts, they want munchies that are very much not OP for me. I battle the late night munchies by having snacks for them that do not call to me. I do plan ahead with a dessert for me at these times, such as SF jello, my allotment of SF plain yogurt w/ splenda & either cinnamon or extracts work for me. Hope this helps you. I am P1 now. Linda

I get bored after supper sometimes and want to start snacking. If the urge is too much for me to control I'll brush my teeth and use my mouthwash for the night, since I can't eat or drink anything for 30 minutes after using it. I hate the mouthwash (Listerine) and don't want to use it again so I won't eat anything.

The tooth brushing thing is an awesome idea (even if you don't care about having to brush again, it usually ruins the taste of food for awhile). A lot of times, I go to bed early if I'm just really having a bad night; last night the M&M cookies I made for my son's class were calling my name, so I hit the hay early. Keeping yourself busy can help if it's happening way too early to go to bed; a lot of women I know who have problems with evening snacking is that they're busy all day but evening is downtime so their minds get fixated on food. Maybe do a light workout? Or pick up a new hobby.

I'm going to hang a full length mirror at the entry to my kitchen! Hopefully, the site of my wobbly self going in for one more snack will strengthen my willpower.

Snacks I like are things like dark ryvita and cottage cheese (the protein will help fill you before bed), or organic yoghurt (for the same reason.) Both are quite low in calories and reasonably satisfying.

I've also started making home-made soup with either vegetables or tomatoes or both. All you need is a blender, water and veggies and/or tomatoes. It's virtually no calories and very nice. Although it may rift if you have it very close to bedtime!

I totally understand! I've finally got the daytime snacking controlled, but when I get home it's the same thing - FOOOOOOOD - then snacking until I fall into bed in a carb induced stupor! The thing is that I FEEL hungry - I KNOW I couldn't possibly be, but that feeling beats me every time!

I like the lysterine idea - keep a bottle on the kitchen sink for emergencies. Maybe a pack of lysterine strips next to your spot by the TV. PLUS a full length mirror located on the way to or IN the kitchen. I'm going to try all of these.

This is my problem too. I try to have a small dinner and save a couple hundred calories for snacks or something sweet. Skinny Cow ice creams are great, 100 calorie packs, and even hard candy that take a long time to eat. Otherwise I just drink tea and keep my cup full with something warm and calorie free.

Me too, me too . . . need a snack before bed or I wake up hungry and then just want to eat everything. I've tried several things: tried just drinking LOTS of water-nope didn't do it; a yogurt (lowfat, I've never tried the Greek yogurt, but that might work)-didn't work; tried eating a pear, better, but no cigar, hot tea-ok, but still left me wanting; a banana-hmmmmmmmm fills me up and is usually a little sweet. I try to drink some water with it too, it tends to hold me over. The other thing that works for me is a couple of squares of graham cracker with just a little peanut butter, (I also drink water with this). Sometimes I drink tea & do the graham crackers too. Try several things until you find what works for you.

I also allow myself 5 dark :chockiss: per day (I never eat five, but they are there if I am craving) sometimes after I do the banana or graham crackers I eat one of my :chockiss: (slowly let it melt in my mouth) and that usually fixes the need for sweet . . .

Good luck
I like the mouthwash thing too

Wow...so many ideas! Thanks a lot, I'm going to try a lot of them. I really like the mouth wash idea and putting a mirror in the kitchen might help. My mom told me I should try putting a picture of myself on the fridge to remind me why I'm doing this so, I think I'll try that too. I am now loaded with lots of healthy ideas. Thanks everyone!!