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Whoever spread the notion that bedtime snacks are bad for you must not have been an endurance athlete. If you’ve ever been roused prematurely by a grumbling stomach��or woken up feeling depleted from the previous night’s workout, you know that a bite before bed has its merits. But����has only recently����to show exactly how a late-night snack can����active bodies, with����establishing the correlation between evening calories and muscle��recovery and growth. Those calories also help��replenish glycogen stores in preparation for the next day’s workout. Catherine��Kruppa, a registered��dietician��and certified sports nutritionist with 14 Boston qualifiers and three��ultras��to her name, explains that a 200-to-400-calorie snack should do the trick. Look for foods with a three-to-one carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, and opt for complex carbs instead of simple sugars. She also recommends you sneak in some��antioxidants�����Ի����dz��𲵲�-3’s, which will help boost your recovery while you sleep.��

If you need��some inspiration, here are some nighttime snack ideas straight from the pros.

Cherry-Almond Recovery Smoothie

A big week for long-distance triathlete entails 30 or more hours of training. “I have a hard time getting in enough protein and calories during a six- or seven-hour training day,” she says, “so having a shake before bed helps keep me full during the night and aids muscle repair while I’m sleeping.”��

This easy-to-digest smoothie is a perfect bedtime snack for recovery, with protein and carbohydrates, fluid to help rehydrate, and anti-inflammatory nutrients.��Sodaro’s protein needs are sky-high due to her heavy training load, so��Kruppa recommends you tweak the recipe according to your own needs, adding��that the three-to-one��carb-to-protein ratio is a good rule of thumb for everyday athletes.��

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 scoops (1 serving) ��
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup frozen berries
• 1 tablespoon tart cherry-juice concentrate
• 3 ice cubes

or

• 1/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 scoop��100 percent whey, collagen, or vegan protein powder
• 2 teaspoons almond butter
• 1 cup frozen tart cherries

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Antioxidant Granola Bars

Three-time distance-running Olympian�� created these granola bars specifically for nighttime snacking after a hard training day. “When I eat late at night, I try to avoid foods that will cause a spike in blood sugar,” Rhines says. The ample protein and fat in her bars��slows digestion and keeps her satiated. She also adds goji berries, which contain a whopping 18 amino acids, and antioxidant-rich raw honey.

Kruppa approves of Rhines’s ingredient list, which includes��ample complex carbs and��important nutrients. If you’re low on protein for the day, Kruppa suggests adding whey-protein or collagen-protein powder to the mix. Flax seeds would also contribute healthy �dz��𲵲�-3’s to this nourishing bedtime bite.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dates, pitted��
• 1 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup goji berries
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs (optional)

Directions

Optional: Toast oats at 350 degrees��Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes. Chop dates into small bits with a food processor or by hand. Combine the oats, dates, and almonds��in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Warm almond butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat, then��combine to the��oat mixture. Add the goji berries and cacao nibs. Line an eight-by-eight-inch��baking pan with parchment paper, spread the mixture inside, and flatten. Cover and place in a fridge or freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and chop into squares.

Coconut-Milk Yogurt Bowl

, the runner-up at last year’s��USA Track and Field Marathon Championship, only snacks in the��evenings��before a particularly long run or hard workout. “My favorite lately has been a coconut-milk yogurt bowl,” he says. He typically uses��, sweetens it naturally with maple syrup or honey, and tops it with fresh fruit and granola.

Kruppa��called Llano’s yogurt bowl “a great whole-food snack,” thanks to the nine grams of both fiber and protein it provides. To increase��the protein, she suggests opting for Greek yogurt. As a topping, Kruppa��also recommends��, which contains omega-3-rich��flax seeds��and only five grams of sugar per serving.

Ingredients

• 3/4 to 1 cup coconut-milk yogurt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup granola

Chocolate-Chip Flax-Seed Cookies

Olympic steeplechaser , who is working toward��her Ph.D. in kinesiology at the University of British Columbia, keeps it simple with a glass of milk. “It’s somewhat filling, and I get a little extra hydration with some carbohydrates and protein,” she says. “Though I’d be lying if I didn’t say I normally look for a cookie or two to dunk in it.”

Kipp’s glass of milk in the evening is spot-on, according to Kruppa. It contains a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates, fluid, and potassium, and it pairs well with the occasional treat. When homemade cookies aren’t an option, Kruppa’s favorite��alternatives are and .

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup light-brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour����
• 1/3 cup ground flax seed
• 1 1/2 cups milk-chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together in a medium-size��bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking soda and salt. Add flour and flax seed, and mix well. Stir in��chocolate chips. Place golf-ball-size��dough balls on a cookie sheet and chill in the freezer for five��to ten��minutes. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.��

Shakes, Toast, Cereal, and Bars

With three young daughters and a full-time job, Canadian ultrarunner prefers to train in the evening, after eating with his family and putting his girls to bed. Postrun, Neff snacks on a wide variety of protein- and iron-heavy foods, like , chocolate milk, peanut butter on whole-wheat toast, meat-based , and cereal—including his kids’ Reese’s Puffs.

While bedtime snacks can benefit all athletes, Kruppa underscores��their importance for those who train in the evening and have a short window to replenish their glycogen stores. Kruppa calls chocolate milk the cheapest and most effective recovery beverage��due to its rehydrating powers and perfect carb-to-protein ratio. An Epic��bar combined with an orange is also a solid choice, as the vitamin C in the orange helps the body absorb the iron in the bar. And finally, breakfast cereal—yes, even the sugary ones with cartoon-covered boxes—can be a healthy grab. While many types contain 25 percent of the daily recommendation for iron, Kruppa recommends , which is fortified with 100 percent of your��daily iron��needs.