You're tired, it's the end of the day and your stomach is talking to you. Or is it? When wanting to eat late at night, it might not always be because of hunger. More than likely you've got a craving to eat something yummy; maybe something salty or cold and creamy. That, my friends, is what the problem is.

It's not too bad to want to have a little something to eat late at night. The problem is when you try to eat something that is considered to be junk food; ice cream, potato chips, candy, or hamburgers and fries. Go ahead and have a little something, but make it a little something that is good for you.

Some people believe that eating before eight p.m. will help you maintain a healthy weight. But more than likely it is the quality of food that you eat that makes or breaks your weight and not so much the time that you eat it. If you indulge in high calorie, high fat, low nutritional value-food day in and day out, you are likely to balloon in weight over a period of time. A late night indulgence every now and then is not likely to make your weight go up.

Try to eat five small meals a day to keep your late-night cravings at bay. This includes breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, and dinner. Don't skip meals even if that means eating a protein bar at lunch. Eating small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism busy; which is a good thing.

Also, try eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and low-fat proteins. Avoid eating sugar and foods with added sugar as well as foods such as white rice, white bread, and white flour. These will only leave you feeling hungry much sooner than if you eat whole grain products and foods that are in a more natural state.

If you are following the above guidelines and are still craving something late at night, go ahead. How about a small sliced apple smeared with a tablespoon of low-sugar peanut butter? Or a small bowl of whole grain cereal with a half banana and 2% milk? Or pop some popcorn with reduced butter or better yet, no butter at all.

Go ahead and have a snack late at night, just remember to not neglect your meals during the day, make healthy choices, and don't make late-night snacking a habit. Always serve yourself in a small bowl or plate rather than taking the entire package. Put away the food immediately so that you are not tempted to go back for seconds. Life is short. Enjoy yourself. Take care of yourself, and think before you eat.

Learn more about this author, MiLa Driver.
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