What should I eat before bed??

A common question I get from clients is what should I eat before bed? (Yes, you can eat after 6:00, even carbs!!…but that is a topic for another blog.) Technically, your body doesn’t know what time of day it is, so as long as you’re meeting your macronutrient goals, you can pick and choose to eat what you want when you want. However, there are definitely better choices you can make to better fuel your body as you sleep. I like to suggest to clients to eat a snack containing casein protein (ie yogurt, cottage cheese, or a casein protein powder) before bed. Casein is a slow-digesting protein; therefore, you get a steady supply of amino acids to aid in muscle recovery and repair as you sleep and reduce the impact of muscle protein breakdown during this period of fasting. This is especially important when you’re in a caloric deficit when you are trying to avoid losing any of your lean tissue mass. Furthermore, studies have found that diets high in protein in general can result in improved sleep quality, so increasing your protein intake before bed with some casein is a perfect choice. So, in conclusion, get yourself a nice big bowl of yogurt, read a book, snuggle up with your cat under the comforter and catch some z’s.