Satisfying late evening cravings for something tasty

November 22, 2014 10:10 PM

Of late I have a hunger for something tasty and perhaps sweet an hour or 2 after dinner and nearing the time I all go to bed. Tell me some of your favorite ways to satisfy that in a healthy way please. I can't eat chocolate.
posted by dougiedd to Food & Drink (40 answers total)

I have a dried fruit strip - pretty healthy, small in quantity and sweet like crazy!
posted by Toddles at 10:21 PM on November 22, 2014 [2 favorites]

Chia seed pudding -- Google it for millions of recipe variations -- is healthy and as sweet or non-sweet as you want to make it. I make it in advance and then have a nice treat waiting for me in the fridge when I get that almost-bedtime hunger.

Baked apples are another healthy treat with apple pie flavor. I usually don't even add sugar.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 10:21 PM on November 22, 2014

I find that olives and strong* cheese have the same effect that dark chocolate does, where a little nibble is potent enough to be satisfying. So if by "healthy" you mean "low-calorie," maybe try that?

*For me, stinky cheese right before bed is not really ideal, but something like aged gouda — which is sort of nutty/toffee-ish in flavor, and super intense, but doesn't have much funkiness to it — works great.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:24 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

A cup of herbal tea with a reasonable dollop of honey. I mix it up for variety, but most often there's some kind of mint involved. In hot months cold barley tea is my favorite. Super nutty, almost malty flavor.

Usually just the tea will be enough for me but if I really do have hunger that's when the cheese and crackers make a showing.
posted by Mizu at 10:28 PM on November 22, 2014

A half cup of plain yogurt with cut up banana drizzled with honey.
posted by rouftop at 10:31 PM on November 22, 2014 [4 favorites]

Mandarin oranges (the tiny, sweet ones).
posted by lovableiago at 10:32 PM on November 22, 2014 [3 favorites]

It sounds very strange, but a cup of hot water with either a lot of lemon juice or a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, plus a tiny bit of honey, satisfies that craving.
posted by third word on a random page at 10:34 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Kettle corn. You can buy smaller pre-portioned bags (either premade or microwave) or make your own if you want to control the sugar level.
posted by jetlagaddict at 10:39 PM on November 22, 2014

If you don't necessarily want something to eat, brush your teeth.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:41 PM on November 22, 2014 [7 favorites]

A few slices of canned pineapple have been a good alternative to processed sweets for me.
posted by oceanview at 10:43 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

I personally like hot cocoa for this, but if you can't have chocolate I'd imagine you could do a similar thing with some warm/hot milk, honey, and maybe a little bit of vanilla.
posted by Weeping_angel at 10:45 PM on November 22, 2014 [4 favorites]

canned peaches
posted by Jacqueline at 11:02 PM on November 22, 2014

For this purpose I eat toast with butter and nutritional yeast - so yummy!
posted by unsub at 11:30 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]

Mashed banana with a sprinkle of cinnamon on toast.
posted by KateViolet at 11:55 PM on November 22, 2014

Cinnamon toast. Depending on what kind of bread you use, you've got a variety of tastes I like Hawaiian bread, a very thin coating of butter, and a teeny bit of cinnamon/sugar mixture. (Brown sugar and cinnamon is even better.) For a different texture, try heating it under the broiler (with the butter and cinnamon/sugar already on it). Sweet, crunchy *and* soft, and goes with milk, or tea, or water. This has been my go-to comfort food my entire life, and it never fails.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 12:09 AM on November 23, 2014 [4 favorites]

Greek yogurt with chopped up dried (unsweetened) mangos, left in the fridge overnight will make the most amazing mango pudding you've ever had. You just need a couple of tablespoons of dried mango (a few strips cut up). Mix that with a couple of cups of greek yogurt and place in the fridge overnight or half a day before you plan to eat it. The mango gets re-hydrated with whey from the yogurt, and the yogurt gets even more strained to a thick, sweetened cream. No sugar is added and the ingredients are quite simple.
posted by grassbottles at 1:57 AM on November 23, 2014 [7 favorites]

- Blueberries, with either vanilla Greek yogurt or in a smoothie with milk, vanilla and sprinkles of brown sugar and flax
- Grapes over cottage cheese and walnuts
- Oatmeal, with prunes or raisins (I never thought I'd like this, but there it is)
- Cereal (I like Alpen) and milk
- This is borderline, but I'm sometimes out after dinner near a place that has waffles; mine would have fresh strawberries and light whipped cream (not sure if the last fits your definition of 'healthy'; it's low calorie, though). There are tons of recipes for 'healthy waffles' - you could try one of them and make (and freeze) small ones.
posted by cotton dress sock at 3:17 AM on November 23, 2014

spoonful of peanut butter is my usual, although i recently discovered pumpkin/sunflower/flax seed butter and i am very excited about it even if it does cost like $18
posted by poffin boffin at 4:28 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Frozen blueberries - not fresh ones, but the ones that come frozen. Trader Joes used to have good frozen fruit, not sure about lately (I haven't bought it there for years). They are surprisingly satisfying, thogh they turn your fingers (and mouth) purple.
posted by dreamphone at 4:44 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

This week, I've been eating a little fruitcake every night.
posted by Bruce H. at 5:05 AM on November 23, 2014 [2 favorites]

Usually when I crave something sweet, I actually crave sweet-and-fatty and can't be satisfied with apples. At times like this, a spoonful of peanut butter works for me: it's sweet enough, calorie-dense, and not the kind of thing I can idly eat a pound of.
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:33 AM on November 23, 2014

I'd make a hot, caffeine free chai latte. (I have cocoa, but it's the substitute.) Use cream or whole milk. It's rich, full of calcium and will promote a good night's sleep.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:52 AM on November 23, 2014

Cheerios in milk resolve that ice cream craving for me, as does yogurt. Something about cold and creamy.
posted by Liesl at 5:53 AM on November 23, 2014

I've taken to crepes recently. They are relatively low in fat and calories, and they can be a good vehicle for whatever you're craving... sweet (apples, preserves, brown sugar, whipped cream, almond butter, banana, cinnamon sugar, etc) or savory (cheese, veggies, beans, sour cream, etc). You can make them once a week, then keep them in the fridge. Toss it in the microwave or oven with whatever toppings you're craving! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basic-crepes/
posted by hippychick at 7:10 AM on November 23, 2014

If you're actually wanting chocolate (but can't have it) I find that nuts can help that craving pretty well. If you're keeping calories low, that may not help, but otherwise the amount of fat they have should help you feel full.
posted by Margalo Epps at 8:41 AM on November 23, 2014

I like oatmeal with cinnamon and brown sugar when I'm looking for a sweet but relatively healthy snack.
posted by litera scripta manet at 9:27 AM on November 23, 2014

Cottage cheese also scratches this itch for me. With a little nutritional yeast (mmm, tasty B vitamins).
posted by joycehealy at 10:04 AM on November 23, 2014

Fat Bombs. Chia pudding or scottish oatmeal or Horlicks, or taking a Rancho Gordo stoneground chocolate disc and shaving some into hot milk for hot cocoa work too.
posted by ifjuly at 10:45 AM on November 23, 2014

gdamt, sorry for being an idjiot and forgetting the bit about how you can't eat chocolate! i got carried away and forgot. anyway, i stand by the rest...and i don't add the chocolate dots to the strawberry bombs, or put them in cute molds, they just go in an ice cube tray. they do indeed taste like strawberry quik.
posted by ifjuly at 10:55 AM on November 23, 2014

Nthing hot herbal/spice tea with honey. I also do the spoonful of peanut butter thing.
posted by fancyoats at 11:41 AM on November 23, 2014

Seconding Margalo Epps, my naturopathic doctor recommended a small handful of almonds or other nuts to satisfy late night snack cravings. Almonds also are high in magnesium, which can help promote relaxation. Fat helps you feel full and would be much better than eating anything sugary, as that can spike your blood sugar. Depending on your situation, sugar may make you want to eat more.
posted by mtphoto at 12:33 PM on November 23, 2014

I really like "monkey salad" for this. It's a banana sliced up, with a spoon of almond butter on it and some unsweetened flaked coconut on top and maybe some raisins if I have them. It's a million textures and takes a while to eat and is also filling.

It's also kind of stupid and I hate it a little bit for not being cake which keeps me honest about whether I'm really hungry. Like, if I was really hungry I'd eat monkey salad and if monkey salad is making me grumpy my problem cannot really be addressed with food.
posted by Saminal at 1:10 PM on November 23, 2014 [11 favorites]

dates
posted by alon at 4:00 PM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Dates dipped in tahini.
posted by sarahw at 4:55 PM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: So many fine answers I can not mark a fav!
Thanks and keep em coming!
posted by dougiedd at 5:17 PM on November 23, 2014

I've read elsewhere that eating a banana before bed will actually help you get to sleep, and I love bananas, so I haven't looked for evidence to the contrary. I also second a spoonful of peanut butter. Or a small bowl of cereal. Sometimes I just drink a big glass of water if I know I really shouldn't be hungry (reasoning that I probably am dehydrated).
posted by gohlkus at 5:42 PM on November 23, 2014 [2 favorites]

A simple cracker (like Ritz), with a smear of cream cheese, topped with a sliced strawberry or banana slices or similar fruit. Better than cheesecake.
posted by neutralmojo at 7:43 AM on November 24, 2014

Also, sort of tangential to your actual question, if you want to look into defeating this craving from the get-go you could look into adding a bit more protein and healthy fats into your evening meal. YMMV on which fats you (and/or society) decide are healthy.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:40 AM on November 24, 2014

A little piece of Halva?
posted by WeekendJen at 9:38 AM on November 24, 2014

When I just want a sweet kick but not anything filling, I have a Werther's sugar free hard candy. No sugar, only 40 calories, and it lasts long enough to satisfy the sweet craving.
posted by platinum at 11:32 AM on November 24, 2014