What to eat before bed

What to eat before bed according to your goal

If what to eat before and after training is the most common question, what to eat before bed is close.

We will address this topic and show you the different options available to you.

First of all, this article is aimed at people looking to improve their body composition, whether through increasing muscle mass or losing fat.

Furthermore, let's assume that the meal before bed is not dinner, but the next meal.

If you have dinner and go to sleep straight away, this is not the ideal article for you, but you can get some ideas.

If you have a habit of eating a meal before bed, you've come to the right place.

If you're in doubt, keep reading.

To eat or not to eat?

This meal is not mandatory, and dinner can be your last meal of the day, as long as:

• Reach the daily macronutrient values needed for your goal.
• Include a quality source of protein in this meal.

So, when does this meal before bed make sense?

• When the time between dinner and going to bed is long.
• When the risk of waking up during the night hungry is high.
• When you have not yet reached the daily values necessary to achieve your goals.

This article will be divided into what YOU SHOULD eat, and what YOU CAN eat before bed.

They are two different things, and you will understand why.

We have also added some practical examples and a few more observations to make your work easier.

What you SHOULD eat before bed

What you should eat before bed is simple: Protein.

No matter how many theories, methods and ideas you follow, no one will tell you to eliminate protein from this meal.

Whether the goal is to gain muscle, lose fat or maintenance.

The only people who should eliminate protein from this meal are those who want to lose muscle, so if you want to make a career out of Walking Dead, eliminate protein from this meal (and all others).

Although the amount of protein to use always depends on the diet itself, something between 20g and 40g of protein will generally be optimal.

Now, what sources of protein should you use?

• Low-fat fresh cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Quark cheese
• Casein
• Eggs

These are the main sources of protein that you should opt for in this meal.

Just this? Can't I eat anything else?

We didn't include meat and fish for one reason: Convenience.

Many people simply don't want to go through the trouble of preparing such a meal, or don't feel like consuming it at this point.

Furthermore, a picanha dish at this meal is too heavy.

This doesn't mean they can't be used here, they are excellent choices, but a casein shake or cottage cheese are more practical.

A casein It is the main protein in cheese and milk, and is a good choice as it is a (very) slow absorption protein.

You casein powder supplements They are also common and good bets.

If for some reason casein/cheese isn't an option, eggs are a good choice, as is a can of tuna (Yes, tuna is a fish, we know).

You already know, before bed, use a source of protein.

Don't make it up.

What YOU CAN eat before bed

A protein It's a simple, effective choice without much margin for error before bed.

If they point a gun at you, and you have to choose just one macronutrient before bed, choose protein.

But what about carbohydrates? And the fats?

Both carbohydrates and fats can be used in this meal to achieve better results.

Carbohydrates before bed?

Fats before bed?

Yes.

We will separate them and explain the advantages and disadvantages, and when they should and should not be used.

Fats?

Fats in the meal before bed can be a good bet, especially for those who want to gain muscle mass.

This is the nutrient with the highest caloric density, with each gram containing 9kcal.

This means that for those looking to add some extra calories to their diet, the simplest way is through fat.

Furthermore, they play an important hormonal role, delay digestion, which is great before bed, and help control your appetite.

What sources of fat should you use?

• Dry fruits
• Fish oil
• Dry fruits
• Peanut butter
• Dry fruits

Dried fruit three times?

Yes.

They are a healthy, tasty and satiating source of fat.

A source of protein, with some nuts, is a good idea for those looking for gain muscular mass, and even for those who want lose fat it might be useful.

Fats will delay the absorption of protein, prevent you from having a hunger attack at night and ensure the normal functioning of the hormonal system.

If you use eggs in your meal before bed, don't forget that the yolks count as a source of fat.

Carbohydrates?!

Finally, although carbohydrates are generally the least important nutrient of the three in this meal, they can also be used, and sometimes in a beneficial way.

Carbohydrates before bed?!

Yes.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is, you have already consumed the daily carbohydrates you need?

If not, there is no problem using them here, especially when the objective is to increase muscle mass.

Another example in which carbohydrates can be used:

You trained at 8pm, had dinner at 9pm and went to bed at 11.30pm.

Carbohydrates here, in certain situations, can be beneficial, especially in replenishing glycogen.

Furthermore, it is easier to fall asleep when you include carbohydrates in this meal.

Bottom line, if you train late, and only have one or two meals after training, you can add carbohydrates to this meal to help you with recovery.

If you train early in the morning, the carbohydrates here can also be useful.

Factors to take into account:

• Total daily consumption
• Objectives

Now, don't fool yourself.

If protein is the number one nutrient when it comes to what to eat before bed, carbohydrates in most cases are number three, and if you eliminate any, carbohydrates are usually the first to go.

Confused?

Continue reading.

Goals

The timing of nutrient intake is always less important than total daily consumption.

Ever.

Then, depending on your goal, you can make some adjustments to achieve better results.

Lose fat

• 200g low-fat fresh cheese
• 30g casein
• 5 egg whites + 1 yolk
• 25g casein + 15g nuts

We do not include carbohydrates here, because there are few cases in which this nutrient brings real benefits, consumed specifically at this meal, when the objective is to lose fat.

Furthermore, nuts and low-fat fresh cheese contain small amounts of carbohydrates.

The ideal way to lose fat at this meal is always:

• 1st Protein
• 2nd Protein + Fat

A fundamental factor to take into account is appetite.

Although eating just protein at this meal is great, it isn't great if it means hunger and an undesirable meal in the middle of the night.

If you drink just one casein shake before bed, it's synonymous with waking up in the middle of the night to raid the fridge, it adds something to that meal.

In the meal before bed, not during the night attack.

Appetite control is essential.

Gain muscular mass

• 200g low-fat fresh cheese + 30g dried fruit
• 5 egg whites + 2 egg yolks + 2 fish oil capsules
• 30g casein + 30g oats + 2 fish oil capsules

Here, although it is viable to consume only protein, when the objective is to gain muscle mass, an increase in calories is necessary.

Adding sources of fat or carbohydrates, or both, here will increase calories in a simple way.

If your training was close to this meal, you can add carbohydrates to help with recovery, although it is not mandatory.

In other cases, a combination of proteins and fats is usually the ideal choice.

Interesting studies

Police and carbohydrates

In this study, 78 police officers were separated into two groups.

One of the groups ate most of their carbohydrates at night.

In the other group, carbohydrates were consumed throughout the day.

The number of calories at the end of the day was identical, as was the nutrient ratio.

What happened?

The group that ate most of its carbohydrates at night not only lost more weight, but also had a higher hormonal response.

Casein before bed

In this study, one group received 40g of casein before bed, while the other group did not.

The results showed that this meal with 40g of casein before bed promoted protein synthesis and recovery overnight.

Observation. It is normal for protein intake to promote this response, the question here would be whether casein obtained a superior response or not. However, it does not change the above recommendations.

What to eat before bed, conclusion

The aim of eating before bed will always be to achieve better recovery, promote protein synthesis and also to control your appetite, which will avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Again, the most important thing is the total consumption of nutrients throughout the day, and a good meal before bed is of little use if the rest of the day is poor.

That said, consuming 20g to 40g of protein at this meal is usually a safe bet, regardless of your goal.

In addition to protein consumption, fats, carbohydrates or both can be added.

The consumption of proteins and fats is generally the best option, but the intake of proteins and carbohydrates, or even the 3 macronutrients, can be beneficial in certain situations.

For example, people with a very fast metabolism and looking to gain muscle mass.

If you want to know more about what to eat to gain muscle mass, see our article What to eat to gain muscle mass.

If, on the other hand, you want to lose fat, take a look at the article What to eat to lose fat.

If you still have any questions regarding this topic, use the comments area below.