Best Late Night Snacks for Muscle Growth

When you are training to build lean muscle, it is important to snack smartly. How you snack throughout the day can make or break your training program and lean muscle gains.

Out of all the times we snack during the day, late at night is the one time that gets most of us in trouble; we are sitting around, relaxing, watching TV, and are constantly tempted to consume senseless calories. Many people will consume over 500 calories within an hour of bedtime, and chances are they aren’t calories from lean proteins and healthy fats, either. Most of the late night calories we consume are from simple sugars and bad carbohydrates; ice cream, candy, chips, crackers, popcorn, and even crackers are sure to kill your day at the gym and all the healthy eating you have done. So what do you do if you are starving late at night? Snack on food that will actually HELP your weight training progress, of course!

There are several healthy snack options that can help you pack on lean muscle and get fit that are ideal for late night snacking. When you are late night snacking, you want something that will break down slowly and feed your muscles nutrients and protein to recover throughout the night.

Let’s take a look at the best late night snacks for muscle growth:

• Casein Protein Shake – Casein protein is the ideal protein for late night consumption. Casein protein breaks down very slowly and takes a long time to digest. It is the purest form of protein and has an incredible concentration of muscle-building amino acids. The fact that it breaks down very slowly helps to give your muscles a non-stop supply of muscle building nutrients throughout the night.
• Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt is another great late night muscle builder. It is extremely high in slow digesting protein, and breaks down similar to casein. Greek yogurt is the perfect combination for a healthy late night muscle builder because it is high in protein, low in sugar, and high in fiber.
• Fruit Protein Cubes – If you are an ice cream or frozen yogurt lover, try this amazing alternative. Blend 1 cup of skim milk, frozen strawberry, frozen banana, and a scoop of whey protein. Pour in an ice cube tray and let it freeze for about 30 minutes. Try this high protein and fruit snack in place of ice cream or frozen yogurt late at night and reap the amazing benefits.
• Cottage Cheese – If you don’t like the taste or consistency of casein protein shakes, cottage cheese can make for a great alternative. Most of the protein in cottage cheese is “casein,” which is slow to digest and will feed your muscles with protein and amino acids throughout the night. It is also very low in carbohydrates and extremely filling. One small serving of cottage cheese should kill most of your late night hunger cravings while supplying you with a nice protein kick.
• Eggs – Eggs, in my opinion, are the ultimate late night muscle builder. Eggs are extremely high in protein, fat, and cholesterol. Cholesterol is a precursor to testosterone, meaning consuming eggs late at night after an intense workout day can help to boost your testosterone levels, and take your muscle building to the next level.

These are five ultimate late night muscle builders. Be sure to consume one of these five snacks within two hours of bedtime on your intense workout days – your body will thank you with increased lean muscle mass and overall strength!