We’ve all been there. It’s the stroke of midnight and all we can think about is indulging in some late night prata and ignoring our vow to be healthy. While the usual supper options are always a danger to our calorie count, there are a handful of surprisingly healthy late-night snacks to keep the midnight munchies at bay.
From popcorn and fries to ice cream, we bring you this list of guilt-free alternatives to sate your pre-bed hunger pangs without feeling like you have to run a marathon to burn off the excess in the morning.
For ice cream lovers, take heart in knowing that you don’t have to completely rule it out of your meal plan, especially if you like a little post-dinner treat. Not all ice cream is created equal, so you’ll want to steer clear of creamy, sugar-laden ones like cookies and cream and opt for sorbets made with real fruits and natural flavours.
Brands like Weis are a good addition to your freezer as their products champion the use of 100% real fruits and natural ingredients like vanilla bean extract. Other than having no artificial ingredients, they’re able to pack a variety of vitamins in flavours like passionfruit sorbet which is under 120 calories – lower than the usual 207 calories for cream-based ice cream.
If you don’t trust yourself with a whole pint of ice cream, Weis also has mini ice cream bars to portion your snacks. Not only do they use real fruits, some flavours of their two-toned ice cream bars – like mango – are only 56 calories despite having a combination of both fruit and cream. This way, you can have a tasty option and still snack guilt-free.
Image credit: thediysecrets
Regardless of whether you’re on a diet or not, excess sugar is never good for you. If you have a raging sweet-tooth and need something to soothe it, frozen grapes can be a great alternative for its high antioxidants and vitamin C. Coming in at just about 67 calories for every 100G, grapes give you nearly a 300-calorie allowance if you had chosen it over something sweet like gummy bears.
Not to mention, other than having to wash them and chuck them in the freezer, there’s not much preparation required which also makes it an easy option when it’s well past midnight.
Image credit: Eatbook
Boiling eggs may take a while but the beauty of it is that you can store your ready-made hard-boiled eggs in the fridge till you feel your hunger pangs hit. Since two eggs are only about 150 calories, it’s a much healthier option than Mee Goreng or cup noodles with about the same preparation time.
While you may look like a gym-bro munching on some hard-boiled eggs, the high protein content of eggs will make for a satisfying midnight snack and keep you full for longer. Dress it up with some black pepper and lemon juice to give the eggs a bit more flavour without sacrificing the calories. Alternatively, mash in some avocados and mayo for an egg mayo sandwich.
Image credit: Dinner at the Zoo
Fries are such a universally enjoyed snack. Whether you’re drinking with your kakis or simply cafe-hopping, truffle or mentaiko fries always come to mind when ordering a side to share. But if you’re watching your nutrient content, sweet potato fries are the way to go.
You can grab bags of frozen sweet potato fries from any supermarket and pop them in the air-fryer every time you get peckish. Though sweet potato fries have slightly higher calories than regular fries, they have a higher nutritional value which makes them a healthier snack all around.
Image credit: @johnaltman_snacks
Popcorn drizzled in caramel or salt can give us the perception that it’s just as unhealthy as any other snack, but popcorn on its own actually has fairly low calories. It’s truly in it’s preparation that makes all the difference. So, instead of the usual prep, you can instead sprinkle some olive oil for a healthier alternative.
If you’re feeling bold, you can even try making popcorn on your own which is both an affordable and fairly simple option. You can pop your kernels in the airfryer or over the stove without the need for butter and oil. You can then add salt to your liking while keeping it healthy.
Regularly indulging in midnight snacks can often be seen as a guilty pleasure but with the long list of healthy options out there, late-night snacking doesn’t have to be viewed as criminal.
One of the most sinful treats is often ice cream, a dessert that most people tend to steer clear of at night – and even in the day. Though cream-based ice cream and decadent flavours in excess can be a danger to our health, natural fruit-based options like Weis Ice Cream are a great guilt-free snack.
Not just chock-full of healthy fruits, Weis Ice Cream has flavours such as Passionfruit, Summer Berries, and Refreshing Lemon Sorbet which are also available gluten-free. You can rest assured that these ice creams are all made with natural Australian fruit and dairy, so you can avoid the overly cloying taste of artificial flavouring.
It can be easy to go through a whole tub of ice cream without noticing but in addition to their pints, Weis offers mini bars that come in 35ML portions at just 56 calories each – perfect for snacking. Like the pints, the mini bars come in an assortment of flavours like mango, and pineapple lime and coconut packed in a wrapper designed to catch drips.
If you’ve been trying to stay away from ice cream, Weis Ice Cream is a healthy and refreshing option especially for the humid weather and even if you’re on a diet. Both the pint and mini bars can be found at your nearby Cold Storage, Fairprice, and Redmart for you to fill up the fridge with some low-calorie snack options.
This post was brought to you by Weis.
Photography by Tasha Sun.
Cover image adapted from (L-R): @johnaltman_snacks, @icecreamsocial_wi
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