LATE NIGHT PROTEIN SNACK NOT THE WHOLE STORY !

Do you love snacking, I do. In fact I usually always have a
snack around 10 after dinner. So I guess, as long as I’m going
to snack, then I’d better find out what is the best sort of
snack to eat before dinner. Carbs or Protein.

Protein has been a popular choice because the digestion of
protein causes the body to burn more calories than do carbs or
fats. This marginally increases the rate of metabolism. Protein
also provides the body with the essential biological building
blocks known as amino acids to maintain muscle.

Because amino acids can’t be stored, having a constant supply of
these is essential. So by eating protein at the end of the day,
you’re ensuring that your body won’t be without the amino acids
it needs during the 8 – 10 hours sleep.

So protein is a good after dinner snack, but is this the whole
story ?

A MISSING PIECE OF THE FAT BURNING SNACK PUZZLE

What would happen if you ate carbs for your late night snack ?
What about eating both carbohydrates AND protein ?

Dieters and athletes alike worry that they will gain weight if
they eat carbs close to going to bed. Essentially this is not
true. Weight gain does not result if you habitually eat
carbohydrates after the evening meal and before you go to bed.
Research indicates that carbohydates at bed time play a role in
helping to lose and maintain weight.

Researchers administering this study split participants into two
groups, one eating a ready-to-eat cereal with skim milk, and the
other not eating anything before bed time over a four week
period. The group who ate the ready-to-eat cereal before bed
actually lost more weight than those who did not eat a bed time
snack. One explanation may be that carbohydrates are necessary
for your body to process and break down fat. So cutting
carbohydate intake when you want to burn fat might not be the
best way to go.

Another explanation, may be that those who ate the cereal just
ended up consuming less calories. Researchers found that
participants, in both groups consumed less calories, but those
who ate the before bed time snack had the greatest decline in
energy intake overall.[2] So eating carbs
before bed will help you to lose weight, not gain weight.

Interestingly though, the group who ate the before bed-time
snacks in the above study did not just consume carbohydrates,
they also consumed protein not only from the skim milk, but also
the protein contained in the cereal itself.

EXPERT OPINIONS ON THE RIGHT BEFORE BED SNACK

Many nutritionists and dietetic experts recommend that your bed
time snack consists of both carbohydrates and protein. The American Dietetic Association recommends
eating sources of both carbs and protein together as a snack,
giving examples such as crackers and low fat cheese, yogurt and
fruit or cereal and milk.

In an Australian Institute of Sport sample high energy meal plan
(reported by Steve
Dow) for a young anonymous athlete, fruit smoothies with
skim milk, fruit, ice-cream and skim milk powder was listed as
the bed time snack. Their official site also
indicates that combining nutrients is the way to go.

THE WHOLE STORY ABOUT THE BEST BEFORE BED TIME SNACK

So according to the experts, examples of the most beneficial
bed-time snacks are:

* fruit and some plain low fat yogurt,

* a skim milk smoothie with fruit, or

* low fat cheese on crackers – my personal favorite.

When you combine both carbohydrates and protein in a snack it
makes for a much more enjoyable and varied snack than just
mixing up a protein shake or munching on an apple. This way you
are not only ensuring that your body is getting enough ready
energy for use of overnight, but also ensuring that you are also
“feeding” your muscles.

Date Written: 1st March 2006.

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