"Healthy by eating" series | What to eat for midnight snack? See if you have fallen into these 5 misunderstandings

This summer, the country has been experiencing high temperatures, and restaurants are booming. Late-night snacks are especially popular, but people are also worried. For example, can you drink alcohol when you eat late-night snacks? Can you eat crayfish and other indulgent foods? If you want to solve these doubts, come and find out!

First of all, it should be pointed out that it is not forbidden to eat midnight snacks. In summer, the temperature is high, and the body's appetite decreases during the day, and the digestive ability weakens. If you really can't go to bed early, you can supplement your food appropriately at night. However, if you indulge too much in midnight snacks, it can easily cause trouble. In this regard, the following 5 misunderstandings about eating midnight snacks need to be noted:

Myth 1: Drinking some wine while having a midnight snack will help you fall asleep at night.

Alcohol is a carcinogen that reduces the liver's detoxification ability. Long-term drinking can also promote fatty liver and increase blood lipids. In addition, alcohol can reduce deep sleep time and reduce sleep quality.

Myth 2: Eating indulgent foods such as crayfish and kebabs for a midnight snack.

Eating too much protein food in summer can easily make people feel hot and thirsty, increase the burden on gastrointestinal digestion and the workload of the liver and kidneys, which is not conducive to preventing heatstroke in summer and improving the quality of sleep at night.

Misconception 3: Feeling hungry before going to bed and going to bed immediately after eating a large midnight snack.

The best time to eat a midnight snack is two hours before going to bed. Eating a midnight snack early has three benefits: first, it is not easy to gain weight; second, it reduces the burden on the gastrointestinal tract; third, it causes less increase in blood sugar and blood lipids.

Myth 4: Eat less or nothing in the morning and save your portion for a midnight snack.

Breakfast has a very important impact. Studies have found that eating more breakfast can lead to greater energy release, stabilize blood sugar, and improve insulin sensitivity. However, the later you start eating in a day, the higher your body fat percentage is likely to be.

Misconception 5: Eat less or only eat fruits at night, leaving more food for midnight snacks.

If you save a lot of carbohydrates for dinner, it will be difficult to control blood sugar fluctuations at night; if you save a lot of protein for midnight snacks, it will easily cause your body temperature to rise and your body to become excited during dinner. The proper way to eat a midnight snack is to eat dinner normally and have a small amount of food one to two hours before going to bed.

So, what foods are suitable for late-night snacks? These foods need to meet 5 requirements:

First, it should be easy to digest and not add burden to the gastrointestinal tract; second, it should have an appropriate volume and a high sense of fullness to avoid hunger before going to bed; third, it should have a lower calorie content and a higher nutritional value; fourth, it should not cause physical excitement and help to fall asleep; fifth, it should be easy to eat. Based on this, hot milk, whole grain soy milk, oatmeal porridge, a small amount of fruit and other foods are recommended.

(Guardian expert: Chinese registered nutritionist, Professor Fan Zhihong from the School of Food Science and Engineering of China Agricultural University)