What To Do When The Nighttime Munchies Hit
February 28, 2022I hear this from patients all the time: “I am good all day and then I snack all evening.” Snacking, grazing, nibbling, or noshing after dinner can be problematic if it gets out of control.
For bariatric patients, snacking is how you eat around your surgery.
Weight loss surgery stops one from overeating in one sitting but does not stop someone from eating small amounts over several hours, which can add up to a large amount of food. It is fine to have a planned snack between a meal or after dinner, but it is not a good idea to be snacking. When we start mindlessly munching and nighttime munchies – we may be eating more than we think.
The Nighttime Munchies
Why does this happen and what can we do about it?
There are many reasons why we might find ourselves looking for a snack after dinner. First, you want to find out what might be causing you to snack later in the evening. Below are some reasons people snack after dinner and what you can do to kick the habit.
Reasons People Snack and How to Kick the Habit
You Did Not Eat Enough
One reason why someone might feel the urge to snack after dinner is because they overly restricted their food intake earlier in the day and then made up for that later. If you are not eating enough, do not have a regular eating plan, and/or skip meals, you may be under-eating.
If this situation sounds like you, keep a food diary to track what you eat and drink to see if you’re meeting your nutritional needs.
Schedule an appointment with your bariatric dietitian to help you determine if you are getting adequate nutrition and plan regular meals/snacks. Your meals should include healthy protein sources and fiber-rich foods to sustain your appetite and obtain satiety.
Eating meals and snacks at regular intervals may help curb the appetite. Try not to go more than 4-5 hours between meals without a planned snack. If you skip meals regularly – it may be helpful to do some meal prepping and planning in advance to avoid undereating earlier in the day.
You Are Bored
Some people may eat after dinner out of boredom – the day is winding down and you are looking for something to do. If you find you eat out of boredom – change your routine in the evening. Find a hobby or activity that you can engage in that keeps your mind and hands busy. Some activities to consider are arts and crafts, woodworking, crocheting/knitting, making models, or fixing/repairing cars. If your mind and hands are busy, you’re less likely to snack out of boredom.
Nighttime Snacking is a Habit
Some may be eating nighttime munchies after dinner out of habit. If you’ve always relaxed, watched TV, and snacked after dinner - it can be hard to do one without the other. If this scenario sounds familiar – you may want to find something else to do after dinner – perhaps choose one of the activities mentioned above.
Another suggestion would be to have a planned snack in the evening while you are enjoying your favorite show and unwinding from a busy day. Some snack ideas are fresh fruit, hummus with raw vegetables, Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of chopped nuts, or 1 serving (about 3 cups) of popcorn.
Trigger Foods
Another reason you’re snacking after dinner might be you have food triggers around –tempting foods readily available and sitting in plain sight. Even if you aren’t hungry – seeing tempting foods might encourage more snacking.
Take a long look at your countertops, pantry, and refrigerator. What do you see? If you see tempting foods on your countertops, every time you walk through your kitchen can be a cue to eat these foods. If your pantry/refrigerator is filled with unhealthy foods, these are the foods you most likely will be eating. We eat what we see and what is in our personal environment.
Give your kitchen a nutritional makeover. Get all tempting foods off counters tops and put them away. Put fewer snacks in the back of the pantry and refrigerator so you don’t see them every time you open the door. Many foods (cookies, cakes, pies, leftovers) can be frozen and used later – it’s harder to snack on foods if they are frozen. Also, try to not purchase tempting foods and/or replace them with more healthful alternatives like fresh fruit, 100 calorie packs of nuts, or raw veggies with a light dressing.
Other Strategies
In addition to the above strategies, you can also try these:
- Go to sleep earlier – leaves you less time to snack. (Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep.)
- Brush your teeth right after dinner so you’re less likely to eat.
- Close the kitchen after dinner- no snacking after a certain time
- Only eat in your kitchen or dining room – no food allowed in any other part of your home.
- Log or track everything you eat and drink -so you are more aware of how often and what you may be snacking on
- Learn healthy stress management techniques that do not include eating or drinking. Try to destress with physical activity, engage in other hobbies, deep breathing exercises, or work with a behavioral therapist.
- If you are still struggling with nighttime munchies - make an appointment with a bariatric dietitian to guide you in changing your eating habits. Weight loss is a journey, not a destination – we all need many tools in our toolboxes to succeed.
References
- Clark, Penelope. (2020). 5 Tips to Curb Your Late-Night Snacking, Eatright.org
- Levine, Hallie. (2021). How to Stop Eating at Night. Consumer Reports
- West, Helen. (2021). 10 Clever Ways to Stop Eating Late at Night. Healthline
Lori Skurbe, RD, MPH, CDE, is on staff at Sterling Surgicare in Holmdel, NJ
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lori Skurbe, RD, MPH, CDE, is on staff at Sterling Surgicare in Holmdel, NJ, a bariatric and laparoscopic/general surgery practice headed by Ayotunde Adeyeri, MD. She has more than 20 years of experience in weight management, bariatric nutrition and diabetes education. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition from Penn State University. Read more articles by Lori Skurbe! |
