When you're sitting in front of the TV after a hard day of work, you may be more likely to crave sweets and salty snacks. Instead of grabbing a bag of potato chips and sabotaging the healthy eating you've done all day, stick with more nutritious choices. Curb your cravings by switching up your typical nighttime routine and eating nutritious snacks to keep you feeling full and satisfied. Talk to your doctor before trying a new diet or exercise plan, especially if you have injuries or health conditions.
Step 1
Pay attention to the way you eat all day. If you often crave snacks at night, redistribute the calories you eat during the day. Skip a snack in the afternoon so you can eat a slightly larger portion at night -- this way, you won't go to bed feeling deprived.
Step 2
Indulge in a square of dark chocolate. If you must eat sweets after dinner, eating dark chocolate is slightly lower in calories and saturated fat than milk chocolate. About 40 g of milk chocolate contains 220 calories and 13 g of fat, while 40 g of dark chocolate contains 180 calories and 12 g of fat. (Reference 4) Dark chocolate is high in flavanols, which may also help prevent heart disease if you consume 85 g or less per day, notes MayoClinic.com in the article "Craving Chocolate? Go Dark."
Step 3
Sip on a glass of juice or tea while you watch TV. If you usually associate sitting on the couch with a bag of candy or chips, drinking a low-calorie beverage like tomato juice or black tea will keep you occupied while hanging out with your family.
Step 4
Go for a walk instead of hanging out on the couch after dinner. Switching up your routine may reduce your cravings and help you burn extra calories at the same time. Thirty minutes of brisk walking after dinner will burn approximately 150 calories.
Step 5
Snack slowly. Instead of throwing back a bowl of buttered popcorn without thinking about the calories you consume, indulge slowly -- eat a lower calorie version of your favorite treat, like plain popcorn with a drizzle of honey on top.
Tips and Warnings
- Snacking on fruits and veggies, like strawberries, carrot sticks, celery sticks and cherry tomatoes instead of chips or candy will help you stay full without adding too many additional calories to your diet.
- To prevent malnutrition, do not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,400 calories per day for men.
Things You'll Need
- Dark chocolate
References
- MayoClinic.com; Craving Chocolate? Go Dark
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Common-Sense Strategies to Long-Term Weight Loss; Michelle Murray; January 2011
- Health; How to Satisfy Late-Night Cravings; Julie Upton, MS, RD; October 2010
- Livestrong: MyPlate
- MayoClinic.com; Walking: Is it Enough for Weight Loss?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; January 2010
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