EVENING SNACKS: REAL HUNGER OR EMOTIONAL HUNGER

Collaboration with Boulangerie St-Méthode

In the evening, accumulated fatigue can lead to snacking. Sometimes it responds to real hunger, and sometimes to emotional hunger. Assessing your evening eating habits can help you better understand why hunger arises at this time of day. With a few simple guidelines, you’ll have the tools to prepare more balanced and satisfying evening snacks.

Understanding evening hunger

Hunger in the evening can be either physical or emotional. In the first case, it may be caused by an insufficient dinner or a lack of balance in your diet throughout the day. In the second, it may stem from habits, fatigue or a need for comfort.

Fatigue plays a central role: at the end of the day, impulse control decreases and the brain becomes more sensitive to foods high in sugar or fat. This can intensify cravings, even in the absence of physiological hunger.

When the urge to eat is triggered by an emotion, the first step is to become aware of it. 

Take a moment to identify the emotion you’re feeling, then ask yourself what other strategies might respond to it more appropriately. This could include resting, going for a walk, taking a bath, reading a few pages of a book or calling a friend.

Eating without real hunger can affect sleep quality, increase the risk of weight gain and impair blood sugar control.

Balanced snacking

An evening snack can be helpful in certain situations, as long as it meets a physiological need:

• When several hours pass between dinner and bedtime, 

• Before a workout, to boost energy 

• After a workout, to support recovery 

• To complement main meals by adding foods that may be underrepresented or missing (e.g. fruit, vegetables, wholegrain foods) 

A balanced snack is made up of minimally processed foods. It generally combines a source of carbohydrates with a source of protein. Carbohydrates provide energy, while protein helps promote satiety.

Examples of carbohydrate sources include fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods (e.g. 100% whole wheat Campagnolo loaf, rye crackers, oats). These options are also rich in fibre, which contributes to satiety.

Examples of protein sources include dairy products and alternatives (e.g. yoghurt, kefir, milk, cheese, soya drink), as well as nuts, seeds and pulses (e.g. edamame, chickpeas).

Balanced snack ideas:

Eating late at night can negatively affect sleep quality while going to bed with real hunger can also make it harder to fall asleep. The key is, therefore, to find the right balance.

Above all, listening to your hunger and fullness cues is essential to meet your body’s needs appropriately, without excess or restriction.

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