Late Night Snacks at IMSA

With only a microwave and possibly an illegal water boiler in your arsenal, there’s probably not much of a chef in you to make some midnight snacks. But, we’ll show you how to be a healthy late night snacker, and how to make the best out of your small dorm wing “kitchen”.

The body tends to store food as fat if you eat it before bed, but that doesn’t mean that you should go to bed starving! A healthy late night snack shouldn’t be one that would make you gain weight, therefore it should be low in calories.

1: Make a Yogurt Cubes
Pour a homemade smoothie onto an ice tray, and freeze it. Then pop it into your mouth when you get cravings for something sweet! At IMSA, there’s not
a lot of fresh fruit available to make a smoothie, but ask your RC to make smoothies one night from Sodexo bananas, milk, and yogurt, and freeze the mixture!

2. Popcorn
Popcorn is such a healthy alternative to chips, because it’s lower in fat content, and it’s such a lightweight snack, so you can fill your craving without actually eating that much popcorn, because you’re fooling your mind.

3. Dark Chocolate
If you’re up for a late night, treat yourself- dark chocolate is the choice for you! It contains less sugar than regular milk chocolate, and filled with antioxidants. It’s caffeine without the stimulus itself! No crash guaranteed!

4. Fruit
Though not a choice for some IMSA students, if you have access to fruit, it’s a huge jackpot. Keep your portions under 100 calories- an apple, a cup of blueberries or grapes, bananas. Know what’s in season and make an effort to seek them out whenever you are at the grocery store. It provides you with natural, non-processed sugar and low calories that can keep you satisfied throughout the night.

4: Stock up on Protein
Have you ever realized you had started eating a bag of chips, without even realizing it? It’s like you instinctively started to feed yourself with the things around you. That’s why it’s important to keep healthy food in close proximity. Some trail mix nearby will do the trick in a snap, or spoon and a peanut butter jar is excellent for late night fuel.

5:When you need to order out, order smart
Let’s face it: sometimes you just don’t want to make food. The best option now is to turn to the telephone and order out food. Yet don’t immediately reach for that greasy pizza or heavy Chinese food, especially if it’s late at night. Though other options may be a bit pricier, choosing something light will make you feel better in the long run. Why not try a slim Jimmy Johns sandwich instead of your usual chow fun? Or a Sarpino’s salad instead of a deep dish pizza?

In the end, it’s up to you to decide what to eat tonight. But we hope you remember that eating healthy is one of the most important things to keep your entire body healthy and active, and also one of the things that IMSA students all too often lack. So put down that ramen, but you don’t have to necessarily go hungry- look around you.Better food may be more reachable than you thought.