When having late-night snacks, it’s important to choose healthy ones

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We all know that eating snacks frequently is harmful to health, but many people have to work night shifts or overtime, and they would get hungry if they didn’t eat anything as a snack at such times. The editor suggests that if you do decide to have late-night snacks, make sure they are healthy. 　　1. Be careful with the amount consumed – the closer it is to bedtime, the less you should eat as a snack at night. But if you need to stay up late and there is still a long time until bedtime, you can eat a bit more; sometimes the amount can be as much as that of a regular meal. 　　This is because if a person falls asleep quickly, the organs in the body also enter a state of rest. The proteins, fats, sugars, and other substances in food need to be digested by the gastrointestinal tract and metabolized by organs such as the liver and kidneys. Forcing these organs to work extra hard not only increases their workload but also reduces their efficiency. Studies have shown that eating late at night in an unscientific manner is a factor that contributes to diseases such as obesity, kidney stones, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, pancreatitis, and diabetes. There are 3 things to keep in mind when eating snacks at night for health reasons. But if you’re not ready to go to bed yet and your dinner has already been digested, it’s fine to eat something to relieve hunger and maintain your body’s energy levels. For example, if you stay up until 2 a.m., it’s fine to eat a bit more by 10 p.m., even if it’s as substantial as a regular meal. Of course, under normal circumstances, the amount of late-night food should be 50%-70% of the amount consumed at a regular meal. 　　2. Pay attention to the time for having late-night snacks. There are two requirements regarding the timing of eating late-night snacks: first, one should eat quickly; avoiding situations where one drinks alcohol or chats while eating, which can lead to eating longer and more, bringing bedtime closer and thus having a greater impact on the body ； The second time is for having late-night snacks; of course, the better it is if this is as far away from bedtime as possible. However, one doesn’t feel hungry right after dinner, so if one stays up late, it’s possible to have a late-night snack at some point between dinner time and bedtime. 　　For modern people, staying up until 11 or 12 o’clock, even until 1 or 2 in the morning, is common, which has made late-night snacks a necessity. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the timing of meals in accordance with the digestive patterns of the intestines. Experts point out that, based on gastrointestinal patterns, when a person is awake, they start to feel hungry 4 hours after eating a full meal. So, if you eat at 6 p.m. and go to bed around 10 p.m., don’t have any late-night snacks. If you go to bed at 11 or 12 at night, you can have some snacks around 8 or 9. And if you stay up until 1 or 2 a.m. before going to bed, you can eat something around 10 o’clock – chain restaurant marketing. 　　3. Focus on three types of foods The choice of foods for snacks at night has a more direct impact on health. Experts recommend choosing light and easily digestible foods for snacks at night. The three types of snacks that are highly recommended are milk (yogurt, soy milk), staple foods (carbohydrates such as bread, steamed buns, biscuits, porridge, etc.), and fruits. Not all foods are digested at the same rate in the stomach and intestines; these three types of foods are easier to digest and do not place a burden on the body. Next, we will analyze them one by one. 　　Many people think that eating staple foods for snacks can lead to weight gain, but this is incorrect. In fact, any food can potentially lead to weight gain. Staple foods such as steamed buns, bread, biscuits, porridge, corn, and sweet potatoes are absorbed quickly, helping to relieve hunger promptly; they are also digested and absorbed by the body within about two hours, which makes them suitable choices for evening snacks. But everyone should not blindly pursue certain tastes by choosing staple foods such as cream bread, lean meat porridge, fried rice, and fried dough sticks, which contain fats and meat. Because fats and meats are difficult to digest; for example, it usually takes three to four hours for the body to digest and absorb meat, which results in a very slow \"efficiency\" in chain restaurant marketing. 　　Milk, yogurt, and soy milk are high in protein and have a calming effect; they are also digested quickly, with the body being able to eliminate them within about half an hour ； Fruits can help you replenish minerals and vitamins, provide quick energy, and are also easy to digest; everyone can choose their favorite fruits based on personal preference.