🌙 Bedtime Pumpkin Seed Snack
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp raw or dry-roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of sea salt
- Optional: ½ tsp honey
Instructions
- Mix pumpkin seeds with cinnamon and salt.
- Add honey if you prefer them slightly sweet.
- Eat as a small evening snack about 1–2 hours before bed.
Nutrition (2 tbsp): ~100 calories, 5g protein, 2–3g carbs, 8g fat.
Pumpkin seeds provide magnesium, zinc, protein, and healthy fats, but they aren’t a proven sleep cure. Keep the portion modest because they’re calorie-dense.
🎃 Pumpkin Seeds Before Bed: What They Can Actually Do
Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, make a nutritious evening snack. They contain magnesium, zinc, protein, healthy unsaturated fats, and the amino acid tryptophan.
🌙 Simple Bedtime Pumpkin Seed Snack
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp raw or dry-roasted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Small pinch of sea salt
- Optional: ½ tsp honey
Directions: Mix everything together and enjoy about 1–2 hours before bedtime.
Why eat pumpkin seeds?
Magnesium: Pumpkin seeds are a particularly good source of magnesium, a mineral involved in normal muscle and nerve function. Adequate magnesium intake is also associated with normal sleep regulation.
Tryptophan: They contain tryptophan, an amino acid the body uses in pathways that produce serotonin and melatonin. That doesn’t mean pumpkin seeds work like a sleeping medication, however.
Protein: A small serving provides roughly 5 grams of protein, which can make them more satisfying than many sugary nighttime snacks.
Healthy fats: Their unsaturated fats contribute to fullness, although they also make pumpkin seeds calorie-dense.
Approximate nutrition for 2 tablespoons
Calories: 90–110
Protein: 5g
Carbohydrates: 2–3g
Fiber: ~1g
Fat: 8–9g
Magnesium: ~75–90mg
For weight management or WW, 1–2 tablespoons is a better portion than eating them freely, since the calories add up quickly.