There are many complex reasons why people may choose to snack late at night, even after a wholesome dinner. This could range from regular hunger pangs, to acidity bouts, and also sometimes because you may not be getting the required amount of nutrition in a day. This is not very unusual and should be cause for concern. As rightly said by Kris Simpson, ‘not eating enough throughout the day, sets the stage for night-time binging’. We are not here to lecture you for the habit; But we are here to give you tips on how to make the late-night binges nutritious (keep your stomach happy but keep your soul happier!):
- Your snack should have less than 400 calories per serving— Keep the calorie count lighter, and you will feel lighter. This prevents excessive unnecessary calorie fills which would otherwise be immediately stored as fat in the body
- Incorporate fruits or vegetables in the snack— since you will be resting, lounging or sleeping, you want to avoid carbohydrates, fats or protein, as your body will not have enough time to work on breaking them down
- Low in sugar— anything with high sugar content is likely to keep you active and will do nothing to improve your sleep.
During your late-night hiatus, you would typically crave something sweet, something that tastes unhealthy and something filling. However, with the right mix of ingredients and a smart combining tactic, you can prepare a nutritious snack and achieve all of the above. Here’s a few simple ideas for your next late-night snack:
- Skip the chip-and-dip and go for something healthier like wheat crackers in an oatmeal and seed dip. All you need to do is grind 2 cups of Gouri’s Goodies Ragi Rhythm Cereal Mixinto half a cup of milk to make the dip. Nutrition from the oats & cinnamon, sweetness from the raisins and a burst of taste from the Ragi flakes and sesame seeds!
- Popcorn — the perfect movie & late-night snack! But here’s how you can twist the taste in a bowl of popcorn — mince a bar or two of the Gouri’s Goodies Belgian Dark Chocolate Energy Bar(if you have a no-chocolate policy, go for the Gouri’s Goodies Palm Jaggery and Honey Energy Bar) and mix up in your bowl. Crunchy popcorn with the burst of sweetness is all that your night needs!
- Tired of the usual yoghurt and fruit? Why not replace it with a cup of cereal topped with two to three spoons of Greek yoghurt. Choose the Magic Millet and Apricot Cereal Mixfrom Gouri’s Goodies for a combination of almonds, apricot, cinnamon, oats and sunflower seeds. A nutritious burst of crunch, munch and your midnight binge!
- Seed Mixes — yes, the ultimate choice for a midnight crunch is a seed mix. Make your own or buy one (for the lazy ones — we all are) and your midnight cravings are taken care of. However, skip the chance of dropping all over your blanket and grab an energy bar from Gouri’s Goodies’ extensive collection. Dates & Chia Energy Barsmake for a crunchy, nutritious and easy to consume option!
- PB & J Sandwiches? Although a childhood favourite for most of us, it may turn out to be tedious to prepare in the midnight hours — not to forget the messiness and heaviness of the sandwich. Choose a few Happy Ladoosfrom Gouri’s Goodies — choose from plain, coconut, cinnamon, orange or (for the braver ones) black pepper! Easy to pop in while binging on Netflix and filled with antioxidants and nutrients, the Happy Ladoos are a quick escape for your grumbling tummies!
- When you have the tendency to grab a box of “low-fat rice puffs” — I surely do not believe the packaging (Farsan is farsan) — try to replace the packet with a box of Gouri’s Goodies Rice Power Cerealfilled with Flax Seeds, Rice Krispies, Green Raisins & Palm Jaggery. Crunchy and sweet at the same time, this will turn into an addiction! But remember, too much of anything is rarely a good thing!
- This one is especially for those that put in the extra effort for a freshly baked snack. Where you wish to make some brownies, why not go with an oatmeal and chocolate brownie? All you need to do is follow the below steps:
- Prepare your ingredients — 2 cups of oat flour, 1/4th cup of sugar, ½ cup of almond butter, 1 cup Greek vanilla yoghurt, 1/3rd cup cocoa powder and 1 tsp of baking soda.
· Set aside a mixture of the oat flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.
· Mix almond butter, yoghurt and sugar in a separate bowl. Mix dry and wet bowls until you have a thick dough-like result.
· Line a muffin tin and scoop the dough into each muffin-casing. Bake for 15-minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
Tip — Skip the oat flour and grind 4 cups of Gouri’s Goodies Mighty Oats Cereal Mix to make 2 cups worth of flour. With oats, cinnamon, raisins, cornflakes and sunflower seeds, you have an even more nutritious brownie set for your midnight cravings!
Why do we recommend Gouri’s Goodies products in our suggestions? This one is super simple — I, prepare these ingredient mixes (tried and tested on the family) and follow a system of Clean Label (our ingredient label is easy to understand and interpret — no jargon!). As my company believes in small-batch production, I ensure that my products are created with locally sourced ingredients and have a shorter shelf-life ensuring their freshness during consumption.
In the wise words of Jennifer Love Hewitt, “Instead of piling up food in my fridge that says, ‘Come eat me!’ I keep enough for only a couple of days. And I rarely have treats around that might tempt me late at night, which is when I usually crave something really fattening.” — a practice that we all must follow. Stock up for a few days, skip the temptations and work on preparing something nutritious — happy belly, happy soul!
To order any of our Honestly, Delicious products, you can simply log onto www.gourisgoodies.com today!
Written By Gouri Gupta
Week 1, 1st January 2021
