PROTEIN AND ITS benefits is something we’re all probably sick to teeth of hearing about by now.
Yes, we know it’s important for growth and repair of cells but what most mightn’t know is meeting our dietary requirement of it isn’t always achieved.
That’s why having a pre bed-time snack containing protein can help our bodies recover after exercise and fuel us for the following day’s work, whatever that might be.
An adult male needs between 1.1-1.5 grams of protein per kilo of body weight, per day, so for a 70-kilo man that’s around 80-100 grams. A not insignificant amount.
If you’re looking to build muscle, you’ll need almost twice this, so don’t shirk be shy with the scoop.
Here, we’ve come up with a few ideas for a healthy pre bed-time snack…
Two-egg Omelette
Eggs are a great option at night because they’ve both protein and fat to fill you up.
Add some cottage cheese and tomatoes, or go for something like salmon and avocado, or maybe just plain ol’ ham and cheese.
Either way, the omelette will give you around 12 grams of protein and the same amount of fat – if you’re using butter.
Here’s an omelette recipe we brought you in the past.
Protein shake
The tried and tested protein shake is an absolute favourite. It’s easy to make, easy to down and if your stomach agrees, you can’t go wrong with these.
Add some peanut butter, a banana, some flax seed, some natural yoghurt or some cocoa powder for some extra flavour – and nutrients.
Tip: Buy quality whey protein and you’ll add around 25g to your diet per serving.
Raw veggies with hummus
The very boring and bland options can often be the healthiest and in this scenario, that’s definitely the case.
Cucumber, celery, broccoli and baby carrots won’t pack the same protein punch as the above but they’ll sate your appetite until morning. If staring into a bowl of carrots isn’t the most appetising way to end your day, why not add some healthy hummus dips?
A bean dip can be made simply by whizzing a can of haricot beans in a food processor with some garlic, olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Similarly, a red pepper and chickpea dip involves nothing more than blending a can of chickpeas with some red peppers and some olive oil.