Eating raw strawberries at night or as a healthy snack 1 hour before dinner supports weight loss and a good night’s sleep. Anthocyanins, melatonin, vitamin C, and fiber have beneficial effects on both weight loss and sleep.
Eating strawberries before bed aids in weight loss
Strawberries are a great late-night snack to satisfy your sweet tooth with a few calories. They support weight loss.
Promote satiety with only a few calories!
Eating fresh strawberries before bedtime is good for weight loss because they can keep you full until falling asleep.
They have a decent amount of fiber, which promotes satiety. It delays digestion and takes up a lot of volume in the stomach.
Additionally, raw strawberries are low in sugar and calories! Even people on keto and people with diabetes can consume reasonable amounts at dinner as a healthy sweet treat.
Raw strawberries have only 32 calories per 100g, or 53 calories per cup![1]
Aid in hydration
Furthermore, eating strawberries at dinner is good for burning belly fat because they hydrate the body. Proper hydration is key for good fat metabolism!
Fresh strawberries are 91% water. A cup provides about 150 ml of water, which is 7.5% of the minimum recommended daily intake of water.
Moreover, strawberries as all fruits are natural water filters. They contain high-quality purified water. In addition, they hydrate better than tap water because they also provide electrolytes, which we have to replenish daily.
Vitamin C helps burn belly fat during the night
Also, eating strawberries before bed is beneficial for weight loss because they’re among the richest foods in vitamin C. A cup provides almost 100% of the Daily Value!
Vitamin C plays a key role in weight loss. It’s necessary for fat metabolism.
Why are strawberries a great snack before dinner?
You could also eat a cup of strawberries as a healthy snack one hour before dinner.
Strawberries are packed with powerful phytochemicals like anthocyanins, which have a beneficial role in glycemic control. Strawberries regulate postprandial insulin responses.[2]
Also, they attenuate the pro-inflammatory effect of a modern diet.
But, consuming strawberries with dinner or any other meal doesn’t have the same effect on insulin.
Eating strawberries at dinner supports a good night’s sleep!
According to studies, people who consume more servings of fruits and vegetables a day have better sleep quality and shorter time to fall asleep than people who consume lower amounts.[3]
Melatonin
Above all, strawberries support a good night’s sleep because they’re among the richest foods in melatonin.
Melatonin is a sleep hormone. It’s the internal clock of the body, as it regulates sleeping patterns.
Moreover, melatonin plays a key role in weight loss! It regulates energy intake and helps the body burn belly fat.
Athletes can benefit the most by getting high doses of melatonin.
Fiber
In addition, strawberries could improve sleep quality because they’re high in fiber. Diets high in fiber have been associated with restorative sleep with fewer arousals.[4]
Vitamin C
Furthermore, vitamin C in strawberries have beneficial effects on sleep quality. It plays a role in daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and insomnia!
Anthocyanins
Also, anthocyanin in strawberries have neuroprotective properties. Their consumption is beneficial for people with insomnia because they may play a role in treating anxiety and depression.[5]
How many strawberries could I eat before bed?
As a rule of thumb, you could eat a cup of raw strawberries before bed. However, strawberries have a few calories, and they’re low in sugar. So, healthy people can eat even two cups at dinner.
How to eat strawberries before bed for weight loss & better sleep?
Above all, you should eat only raw strawberries at dinner. Avoid consuming sweetened frozen strawberries, strawberry pies, strawberry-flavored sodas, or any other sweet or bakery product with strawberries. Any snack with added sugar is bad for you. Especially when consumed right before bed.
Added sugar before bed has been linked to increased risk of obesity. Also, too much sugar negatively affects sleep quality.
You should even avoid consuming high amounts of strawberry smoothies at dinner. They may have too many calories. Consuming light dinners is key for weight loss and a good night’s sleep.
However, you could eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before bed. But, you should prepare it with a high-quality, sugar-free strawberry jam.
A PB&J sandwich supports a good night’s sleep because it’s packed with tryptophan, and many minerals which relax the muscle and relieve joint pain.
Tryptophan is an amino acid which is the precursor of serotonin! Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in sleep and weight loss.
Moreover, you could eat raw strawberries with meals high in protein, such as Greek yogurt or protein shake. Diets higher in protein have been associated with better sleep quality.[6]
On the other hand, you should avoid eating strawberries before bed with foods high in saturated fat, such as butter, cheese, fatty meat, coconut, or palm oil. High intake of saturated fat at dinner has been linked to lighter, less restorative sleep with more arousals!
Many highly processed packaged products as well as fast food are particularly high in saturated fat. You should avoid consuming them at dinner.
What’s the best time of the day to eat strawberries?
We can eat strawberries any time of the day. But, the best times to eat them for weight loss are at breakfast, before a high-calorie meal, or after exercise!
They hydrate the body and reduce cravings for fattening foods with a few calories.
