This is the third entry in our ongoing series about healthy eating and its benefits for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder. In the first entry, we took a deep dive into hydration and considered the importance of breakfast. In the second entry, we considered the importance of what you eat for lunch—as well as where you eat it—and considered good options for your afternoon snack.
That, of course, brings us to healthy dinner options. And because we are realists (and snack lovers), we will also take a look at the best options for your late-night snack. It might surprise you to learn that making a good choice for that last snack can help you sleep more restfully, which, in turn, supports your recovery.
Let’s ring the dinner bell and get started.
What’s for Dinner?
For many folks, deciding what to have for dinner is one of the hardest parts of the day. After long hours at work or managing the family’s busy schedule, deciding what to eat can seem unreasonably hard. Worse, even when you do decide, there is still cooking and cleanup ahead of you. All of that can lead to a reliance on takeout or delivery to handle the evening meal. And those options are not always the healthiest.
To overcome this pattern, it can help to get into the habit of planning (and perhaps even prepping) your evening meals in advance. Sitting down once a week and charting out several days’ worth of meals can alleviate the stress of deciding day after day.
But what if you only know how to cook a limited number of dishes that do not involve opening a package and shoving it in the microwave? Happily, you have access to countless easy recipes that can get you started. Here, for example, is a list of 115 quick, healthy dinner recipes. And here is a list of 62 options for vegetarians.
To provide the best support for your health and your recovery, your dinner menu should include leafy greens, colorful fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains.
We might also suggest that you set aside the time to enjoy the evening meal around a table with family or friends. That can seem like old-fashioned advice in our hurry up world, but strong, supportive relationships are a key to keeping your recovery intact—and those relationships can be built around the dinner table.
What About the Late-Night Snack?
While plenty of people enjoy a little something before heading to bed, most folks probably think of that late-night snack as an indulgence rather than something healthy. And, of course, many snacking options fit that description. But there are choices you can make that can actually serve you well.
First, get the timing right. The ideal time for a late-night snack is about an hour before bed (which is also a great time to power down your screen for the night to encourage more restful sleep). Second, there are a few things to avoid when choosing what to eat. You want to be sure your snack does not contain caffeine or high amounts of sugar. In addition, you should decide against foods that are spicy, heavy, or both.
Given those restrictions on sugar (a topic we will address in the next entry in this series) and the kind of tempting leftovers that might be in your fridge at any given time, it might seem like we are not leaving you any tasty options for your final snack of the day. We understand the concern—and we know that it may take a shift in your thinking to get into a health routine around late-night eating.
Still and all, there are plenty of good options that you may not have considered before. Positive choices include whole grain toast with peanut butter, kiwi slices or tart cherries (research has shown both these fruits have sleep-inducing effects), pistachios, or even smoked salmon cream cheese rollups. These and other foods provide magnesium, iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and more—nutrients which are associated with more restful sleep. Here is a list of good options for snacking before bed.
We Are Serving Up Heaping Helpings of Help
At Canyon Vista Recovery Center, located in Mesa, Arizona, we know that a substance use disorder will just keep nibbling away at everything good in your life. With each bite, the substances upend another aspect of your life—your physical health, mental health, relationships, finances. The list goes on and on.
And then there are the withdrawal symptoms that will sink their teeth into you if you try to give up substances on your own. They can include an array of problems that are quite similar to the issues you were facing before you tried to quit—but with a layer of extreme cravings for added flavor.
So, how do you get a return to healthy living back on your menu? At Canyon Vista Recovery Center, we help individuals overcome substance use disorders (and co-occurring mental health disorders) through evidence-based practices supported by our expertise, experience, and empathy. When you are ready to choose recovery, we are ready to serve up the help you need.
