The Healthy Late-Night Snacks Personal Trainers Eat

Make one of these 13 suggestions your go-to, because nobody deserves to go to bed on an empty stomach.

Is there a worse punishment (even if it’s self-inflicted) than going to bed without any dinner? It’s the chastisement of the over-worked worker bee, the exhausted gym-goer, the badly behaving child and the just-one-more-pint weekday drinker. You’re one or all of those things, aren’t you? There you are, turning the key in your door, knowing that a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar at 10pm does nobody any favours and deciding to go without. What a sad, sorry state of affairs.

Luckily, it never needs to be the case again.

We’ve compiled a run-down of the quick-to-assemble and healthy get-in-late fixes of 10 super-fit and super-busy personal trainers. These snacks are all perfect for sliding into your hectic schedule and stopping the midnight hunger pangs in their tracks.

Dan Little, Head Of Fitness At Digme

“My go-to is a ham and tomato omelette. It’s light, it’s easy to make in a few minutes, and ending the day with a great source of protein really aids the recovery process, especially after training.”

Tom Forster, Personal Trainer And Co-Founder Of Plant-Based Protein Brand FIT DELIS

“I’m usually pretty good at resisting the temptation of a late-night snack, but when I do feel like something extra I go for something like a chocolate smoothie. It’s nice and light on the stomach before bed, and the slow-releasing proteins aid recovery while I sleep.”

Melissa Weldon, Head Of Training At Sweat It London

“If I get home late from teaching a class, my go-to is scrambled eggs on seeded loaf toast with a sprinkle of feta cheese and hot sauce.”

Kaya Cansfield, Psycle London Ride Instructor

“Crunchy peanut butter on rye bread. It’s got to be toasted, though. Toasted is the key.”

Gary Logan, Head Boxing Coach At BXR London

“Nothing beats organic baked beans with fried onion on lightly toasted rye bread. Good levels of protein, tasty and really easy to fix.”

Sandy Macaskill, Co-Owner And Trainer At Barry’s Bootcamp London

“It depends on whether I’m getting in from work or a party. From work? Maybe something light and sensible, like scrambled eggs. If there’s alcohol involved? A toasted cheese sandwich is a trusted friend.”

Leo Savage, Trainer At Third Space

“I usually get in around 10pm and by then I’ve already had my last meal of the day. But I love a good nightcap – in the form of a smoothie! It leaves a good filling feeling before bed, instead of going to bed on an empty stomach. I always have bananas cut in half in the freezer just for this reason, then add almond milk, a scoop of protein, oats and a square of dark chocolate.”

Gemma Soul, Head Of Yoga At Psycle London

“Hummus, carrots and some yogurt, with a mug of peppermint tea. I don’t like to eat too late, but I also don’t like to go to bed hungry. Something small and not too heavy like this fills the gap. Just make sure you have a good breakfast in the morning.”

Andy Vincent, Elite Trainer At Third Space

“It’ll always be an omelette. My favourite is spinach, feta, olives and a little oregano. I do love Jamie Oliver’s microwaveable grain pouches too. The curried chickpea one is a personal favourite.”

Mark Crowhurst, Spin And T3 instructor At TRAINFITNESS

“It really depends how late we’re talking, but if I’m super-late it would be rice cakes with cottage cheese, followed by Greek yogurt and berries. It’s ready in a matter of seconds.”

Joe Spraggan, Head Trainer Of F45 Farringdon

“Go for cottage cheese on wholemeal toast. The slow-releasing proteins in the cottage cheese helps your body to recover overnight.”

Simon Cowen, Personal Trainer At Fitness First

“An easy five-egg omelette with mature cheddar, Quorn ham (yeah, laugh if you will, but it tastes just like ham!) and chestnut mushrooms. So many people say they don’t have time to cook after a long day, but dishes like this prove otherwise. It’s probably the meal I have more than any other, too. It ticks all the boxes I need.”

Daniel Puddick, Personal Trainer And Founder Of Sundried Activewear

“Cheese on toast. If I’ve had a really long day, I like to have something hot but that’s not too much effort to make, and because I don’t really like heating up ready-cooked food, cheese on toast is perfect. Plus it’s delicious! A lot of people avoid cheese thinking that it’s unhealthy, but it’s a staple of my diet because of the protein content. I’d rather eat this than chug a grainy protein shake.”

Written by Chris Sayer for Coach and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.