Of course, there's a mental thing at play, too. Polish off a pint of ice cream while catching up on Scandal, and you'll probably wake up feeling pretty guilty. "When we feel bad about our food choices, we might feel like a failure and continue the cycle by eating more sugary foods," says registered dietician Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. Another common scenario: Skipping breakfast as a form of punishment, only to end up ravenous and ready to scarf down anything in sight by 10 AM. (Why hello, breakroom donuts!)
Obviously, there's nothing wrong with splurging when you can savor a reasonably-sized treat (think 10 g of sugar or less) and then move on. But if the whole indulging-followed-by-more-indulging cycle feels all too familiar, consider experimenting with healthy protein- or fiber-packed fare at night, which will keep blood sugar levels low and steady and help set you up for success the next day. Here are 3 to try:
Popcorn
The crunchy kernels are loaded with fiber. And volume eaters, take note: A typical serving size is about 3 cups, which takes forever to eat.
Greek frozen yogurt pops
These popsicle bars are packed with protein—and sweet, but not overly so. Look for one with fewer than 150 calories and less than 10 g of sugar, says Gans. (We like Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt bars.)
Roasted cashews
All nuts are high in satiating protein, fiber, and healthy fats, but cashews have the added bonus of a naturally sweet flavor. Just keep your serving size to ¼ cup.
