Whether you're lying in bed or coming home from a late night out, you may have been faced with the decision to eat (or not to eat) before going to sleep.
On one hand, eating too much before bed can interfere with your sleep. But on the other hand, hunger can disrupt your sleep, as registered dietitian-nutritionist Molly Morgan told INSIDER.
If you're experiencing late-night hunger pains, Morgan recommended having a small snack around 150 to 200 calories. Additionally, registered dietitian-nutritionist Jessica Cording said you should aim for a snack with a mix of carbs, protein, and some fat.
"You want to go for something that's going to digest slowly," Cording told INSIDER. "Nothing heavy but nothing that's going to spike the blood sugar really quickly and then leave you starving shortly after."
If you just can't wait for breakfast, consider one of these 14 dietitian-approved late-night snacks.
SEE ALSO: 8 nutritionists reveal their favorite healthy snacks that they always have with them
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1. Popcorn
About three cups of air-popped popcorn is a filling snack that's still low in calories, Morgan told INSIDER.
Popcorn is also extremely versatile. "Sometimes people are looking for a crunch in the evening and you can go both ways with the popcorn," registered dietitian-nutritionist Maya Feller told INSIDER. "You can shave a little bit of dark chocolate on it and have some nuts with it, or you can go the savory route and put some herbs or spices."
2. Strawberries and dark chocolate
A couple pieces of dark chocolate paired with some strawberries can help satisfy your sweet tooth, and you'll get some added health benefits from the cocoa, Morgan told INSIDER. She recommended having about one ounce of dark chocolate paired with half a cup of strawberries.
That said, it's important to watch how much you have because dark chocolate contains caffeine, as INSIDER previously reported.
3. A glass of kefir
Morgan recommended having a glass of kefir with some vanilla and a dash of cinnamon.
"It's protein-rich and it is refreshing," she told INSIDER. "Each cup of kefir has just about 100 calories per cup and eight grams of protein."
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