It's 9pm at night, and you are hungry. But, you have heard over and over that you should not eat late at night and fear that you are going to gain (bad)weight.
Eating late at night could be a big factor to you gaining weight and putting on fat, but it could also be a big factor in gaining muscle if you do it the right way.
If you are working out and trying to gain muscle, you have to feed your muscles so that they can repair and grow. When sleeping, you are not eating for 7+ hours and need to make sure your muscles are getting the nutrients they need. Slow digesting proteins and healthy fats are ideal for this muscle growth.
You will notice that for some of the snacks that require protein powder, we recommend casein protein as opposed to whey. If you would like to know the difference between the two, please read our previous article here.
These 4 healthy late night snacks are ideal for muscle growth
1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Casein Protein Shake
Simple, slow digesting high protein shake that tastes amazing. No blender required. Casein protein is the ideal protein to consume before bed(or any long fast). Unlike Whey, Casein protein is digested slowly so you get a longer steadier stream of proteins to your muscles. Pro tip: If you work out right before bed, use a blend of whey and casein so you get the quick delivery of proteins that your muscles need to recover as well as the sustained release to keep feeding them while you sleep.
Fill up your Ice Shaker bottle with 8-10oz of cold water or unsweetened almond milk. Add one serving(usually 1 scoop) of Chocolate Casein Protein Powder. Add one tablespoon peanut butter powder(we like PBFit) and one teaspoon Organic Liquid Coconut Oil. Shake it up and enjoy.
2. Eggs & Advocado
Two whole eggs combined with two ounces of avocado yields about 245 calories, 14 grams of protein, six grams of carbs, and 18 grams of fat.
3. Nuts - N - More High protein spreads
This one is great for convenience. Simply eat a spoonful or spread it on to a slice of multi-grain toast to curb your hunger and get the protein your muscles are craving.
4. Low Fat Cottage Cheese, mixed with chocolate protein powder & Almond Butter.
Deliciously simple and packed with protein. We recommend using a whey or whey/casein blended protein for this one. The protein content in cottage cheese is roughly 80% casein so you can get the benefits of both fast absorbing and slow absorbing proteins when mixed with whey or whey blend. We recommend 5Pro Nutrition All Natural Whey Protein-Chocolate.
