Your body responds to food differently when eating overnight. This means having the right healthy night shift snacks can mean the difference between feeling exhausted with extreme cravings or having energy at work. In this post I’ll go over what type of snacks boost energy and which are best for nightshift workers. Then i’ll share a list of easy and healthy ideas to bring to work. 

You ready?  

Should I Eat During my Night Shift?

You should eat if your shift is 12 hours to maintain consistent levels of energy. Treat your work shift like you would eat if you were awake during the day. This would include at least 3 meals and 1 or 2 snacks. You could eat 1 meal before or after going into work, so not all 3 meals need to be consumed at your workplace.

Aim to eat your “breakfast” before you start your shift at home, or at work an hour or two after starting. Plan for a mid-shift meal and a filling snack. 1-3 hours before you head home, eat your final meal. 

You can also eat your last meal once you get home. However, avoid eating your last meal and then immediately going to sleep. 

When you sleep, your digestion slows down. Additionally, your blood sugar will rise higher because all that food that is being converted to energy is not being used for energy. It is instead being stored for energy for later use. 

Eating a large meal and then going directly to bed will make weight loss very challenging for night shift workers, as all those calories are being stored instead of being used.

What Should I Eat on My Night Shift?

Your first meal before starting your night shifts must be higher in protein. Research from the Clinical Nutrition Journal suggests that eating a high protein dinner (41% of energy from protein, 29% from carbohydrates)  reduces the rise and fall of one’s blood sugar from overnight eating by 71.4% as compared to eating a standard dietary guideline meal of 15% from protein and 46% from carbohydrates.This does not mean you need to remove carbs from your meal. It just means the proportion of them may be smaller and there is a solid source of protein in your meal. If we took the percentages from the study mentioned above, a high protein meal would be something like this:

6oz chicken breast
⅔ cup cooked pasta
1 cup cooked asparagus

Whereas a standard meal of 15% from protein and 46% from carbohydrates would be:
2 oz chicken
1.5 cups cooked pasta
1 cup cooked asparagus

The study did not mention any details of fat content. However, fat can also can lower blood sugar response when eaten with carbohydrates. Adding plant-based unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil can all be great sources of heart healthy fats to add to a meal. 

In-between meals adding 1 or 2 snacks with sources of protein, high fiber carbohydrates, and fat provide optimal blood sugar control. This is important because if your blood sugar is spiking and dropping drastically it leads to cravings, fatigue and weight gain.

What are Some Healthy Night Time Snacks?

Snacks can also look like mini meals. Not only will this make the snack more satisfying, but you will also be getting in more nutrients compared to eating packaged chips. Especially if you are a night shift nurse, there might not always be time to eat a whole meal.

If you have found yourself buying Quest bars, you can read my overview of them inside Are Quest Bars Healthy? What a Dietitian Wants You to Know Before You Buy

Having these “power snacks” can give you a boost of good energy so that you aren’t reaching for candy, energy drinks, or sugary treats from the breakroom.

I hope you’ll try out these healthy snacks this week! 

1. Nut Butter + Apple Slices
2. String Cheese + Grapes
3. Turkey jerky stick + Carrots + Hummus
4. Flavored Tuna Pack + Triscuit Thins
5. Hard boiled eggs + Everything Bagel Seasoning + Apple Slices + Cashews
6. Premade Egg White Bites + Whole Grain English Muffin + Mini Guacamole Cup
7. Popcorn bag + String Cheese
8. Protein Frozen Waffle + Almond butter + Banana
9. Protein bars- all ideas can be found in Protein Bars for Weight Loss: Top Picks from a Dietitian (2026)
10. Edamame + Whole Grain Crackers + Mini Guacamole Cup
11. Whole grain bagel thin + Natural Peanut/Almond butter + Strawberries
12. Plain Greek yogurt + Fruit + Slivered Almonds + Low Sugar Granola
13. Premade Protein Shakes- exact brands in Best Low Sodium Protein Shakes: A Dietitian Shares All
14. Good Culture Cottage Cheese Cup + Pear + Low Sugar Granola
15. OatsOvernight
16. Celery sticks + Nut butter + Raisins
17. Medjool dates + Almond butter

There are a lot of packaged bars, but they are not all created equal. If you’ve wondered if Clif bars would be a good choice, be sure to read Are Clif Bars Healthy: Powerbar or Candybar? 

I also did an extensive dive into 10 different varieties of Nature Valley Bars inside Are Nature Valley Bars Healthy? A Dietitian Shares All if you like these bars, but want to find the healthiest variety.

Other Healthy Snack Options

If you want more ideas for general healthy snacking be sure to read:
1. Low Sodium Snacks- 16 Easy Heart Healthy Ideas from a Dietitian
2. Healthy Snacks for Nurses: 20 Quick Options from a Dietitian
3. DASH Diet Snacks: 10 Delicious and Healthy Options to Satisfy Your Cravings

Key Takeaway

Snacks are not bad to eat overnight, even if your goal is to lose weight. By combining carbohydrates that are high in fiber with a source of protein, your blood sugar will be more stable during your shift. As a result, you will have more energy, fewer cravings, and not grab high calorie sugary food from the break room.

Laurie Thenedy, RD

Laurie is a Registered Dietitian passionate about helping healthcare professionals lower their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol so that they can regain confidence and energy to live a more full life.