is it better to eat carbs or protein as night time snack?

Question

im on a 1500 calorie a day diet and i was wondering whats better to eat as an evening snack...carbs or protein?should i eat somehting like fruit or popcorn....or like a slice each of turkey and low fat cheese. i know carbs burn faster so i was leaning more towards that but i want some more opinions!

Answer 1

Protein is a good idea since you will want to keep your muscles nourished as you sleep -- carbs aren't necessary, since the primary fuel for the body at rest is FAT, believe it or not. Slow digesting proteins (casein, rather than whey) are best -- like in cottage cheese.

Answer 2

Well, that all depends on what kind of carbs you eat; simple carbs burn fast and give you immediate energy; complex carbs, such as pastas and breads, burn slowly, giving you prolonged energy; the problem is, it also slows your metabolism. I would honestly recommend the protein route, since it keeps your body in an anabolic state (fat-burning, muscle building) rather than a catabolic one (fat-storing, muscle-burning).

Answer 3

Carbs. Since your digestion slows down when you go to sleep, you don't want anything sitting in your stomach for too long, or you'll run the risk of waking up with Indigestion.

Answer 4

Protein is usually better before sleep. But I, personally, would eat both. An example would be peanut butter sandwhich (or crackers), with milk of course! (: I hope this helps.