You could just grab a banana, a handful of nuts or a cup of cherries. But why not be a little more creative and come up with something satisfying and sleep-inducing. A ¼ to ½ cup makes a good-sized serving for a sleepy-time snack. Most of the Healthy Sleep Recipes make more than that but can be refrigerated for another evening’s snack.
Foods that help you sleep contain ingredients such as potassium, protein, magnesium, and tryptophan. These ingredients nudge your brain and body to produce serotonin and melatonin. Both of which promote deep, restful sleep.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #1: Dream Time Parfait
The tang of sour cherries, the mellowness of bananas, and the crunch of walnuts combine with yogurt in this healthy parfait. If you want, switch out the yogurt for ice cream.
6 to 8 tart cherries
Small banana
1 tablespoon walnuts
½ cup yogurt
1 teaspoon honey or another sweetener
Pit and half the cherries.
Chop the banana.
Crush the walnuts.
Combine the above ingredients with the yogurt and honey.
Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #2: Crunchy Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese combines with both savory and sweet flavors. These combos cover both. None takes very much time. It’s simply chopping and mixing. Makes one serving.
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 tablespoon shelled roasted or raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup cottage cheese
Dash hot sauce (optional)
Combine and enjoy.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #3: Vegged Out Cottage Cheese
Dice up your favorite veggies such as carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
½ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup each of two or three vegetables
2 tablespoons flaxseed.
Chop the veggies into ¼ inch dice.
Mix into the cottage cheese and add the flax seeds.
For an extra rich, creamy dish, add in a tablespoon of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #4: Fruited Cottage Cheese
This combo keeps your sweet tooth happy and is healthy as well. Use low-fat cottage cheese if you need to.
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup total of chopped cherries, pineapple, and bananas
Combine and enjoy. Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #5: Oatmeal Pudding
Love thick, rich pudding? This recipe gives you creaminess and helps you float off to a good night’s sleep. You do have to plan ahead. The oatmeal needs time to absorb the almond milk. The longer the “pudding” sits, the thicker it becomes.
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
2 squares dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup dried apricots
1 cup almond or other nut milk
Dash of cinnamon
½ to 1 teaspoon sweetener
Combine all the ingredients and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. It’s even better if you make this up in the morning to consume in the evening. This makes 4 servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #6: Southwest Salad
Visit South of the Border before you drift off to dreamland. The avocado provides a satisfying richness to the dish as it melts into the lime juice to become the dressing.
1 medium avocado
1 small tomato
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Sprinkle of cumin
3 or 4 scallions, chopped
Splash of lime juice.
Chop the avocado and tomato.
Combine with the remaining ingredients.
½ cup is one serving. This keeps a few days in the fridge. Give the saved salad an extra squirt of lime juice to keep the avocado from turning brown.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #7: Smashed Avocado Dip With Pita chips
Easy to make and just as easy to munch. Foregoing sour cream keeps the fat and calorie count down. If you miss the sour cream too much, sub in a tablespoon or two of plain yogurt. If you don’t have pita chips, narrow wedges of flour tortillas work or try a street taco – slightly thicker than regular tortillas and only 4 inches in diameter.
1 medium avocado
1 small tomato
3 or 4 scallions, chopped
Splash of lime juice
Splash of hot sauce (optional)
Smash the avocado with a fork.
Dice the tomato and add to the avocado.
Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Serve with pita bread wedges, low salt corn chips, or tortilla triangles. Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #8: Faux Ceviche
Usually, ceviche is made with raw seafood marinated in citrus juice, which “cooks” the seafood. In this recipe use cooked shrimp. The shrimp pick up the flavors of the other ingredients.
1 medium avocado
1 small tomato
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno (optional)
1 teaspoon lime juice
½ cup cooked shrimp
Chop the avocado, tomato, and scallions.
Add in the jalapeno and lime juice, and shrimp.
Refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to meld.
If you don’t like shrimp, use cooked scallops, crab or even lobster. Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #9: Tropical Fruit Salad
Drift off to a sound sleep with a salad loaded with tropical fruit and sleep-inducing ingredients. You’ll dream of palm trees and ocean waves.
1 cup pineapple
1 small banana
2 tablespoons dried apricots
2 tablespoon almonds
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
½ cup yogurt.
Chop the fruit in about ½ inch dice. Add the remaining ingredients. Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #10: Granola Munch
Measure out ¼ cup for your serving of this granola or you may end up eating the entire batch in one sitting. If you want a little crunchier texture, leave it in the oven for a few more minutes.
3 cups raw oatmeal
½ cup dried apricots
½ cup dried tart cherries
½ cup dried pineapple
½ cup dried banana slices
½ cup cashews
½ cup flax seeds
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup oil such as walnut or avocado
Chop the fruit to the same size.
Add to the oatmeal.
Mix well.
Add in the oil and honey.
Again mix well. Using your hands does the best job.
Place on a baking sheet you’ve sprayed with cooking oil spray and bake for 15 minutes at 300 to 350 degrees.
Store in an airtight container…
Healthy Sleep Recipes #11: Kale Rollups
Kale leaves sub for tortillas in this rollup. Make the filling and refrigerate for future nights. Fill the kale leaves right before serving, so the kale doesn’t get soggy.
Large kale leaf
½ cup white cooked beans
½ medium avocado
¼ cup cream or goat cheese
1 teaspoon flax seeds
Remove the stem from the kale leaf. This splits the leaf into segments.
Mash the cooked white beans with the avocado and cream cheese. Add the flax seeds.
Spread about a tablespoon on each segment of the kale leaves.
Roll up tightly and serve immediately.
The remaining filling keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #12: Tuna Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Don’t like salmon? No problem use canned tuna fish instead, and you’ll get the same sleep benefits.
12 cherry tomatoes
One 5 oz can of tuna fish.
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon each of finely chopped celery, onions, and dill pickles.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Salt very lightly. Turn upside down on paper towels to drain. The salt adds the flavor of course but also helps drain excess liquid from the tomatoes.
Combine the tuna, lemon zest, celery, onions, and pickles.
Stuff each tomato.
Serving is 2 or 3 tomatoes.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #13: Cheese Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Smooth cottage cheese mixed with tangy parmesan cheese. For a change of pace, sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
12 cherry tomatoes
½ cup cottage cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Salt very lightly. Turn upside down on paper towels to drain.
Combine the cheeses. Stuff the tomatoes. If you want a creamier filling add in a tablespoon of sour cream. Serving is 2 or 3 tomatoes.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #14: Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed With Salmon
Canned salmon works well here and is easier to manage than cooking fresh salmon. You could also use gravlax or smoked salmon. If you do go easy on the salt.
12 cherry tomatoes
One 5 oz can salmon
½ cup cream cheese
3 or 4 scallions
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
½ lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Salt very lightly. Turn upside down on paper towels to drain.
Smash the salmon into the cream cheese along with the scallions, dill, and a splash of lemon juice.
Fill each tomato to the brim with the mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top.
You can either eat these now or pop into a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or so. Serving is 2 or 3 tomatoes.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #15: Hot Virgin Bloody Mary
You probably think of bloody Mary as a brunch drink, but it also serves as a nightcap if you serve it hot. For a change of pace, use 2 oz. of beef bouillon and 6 oz of tomato juice. Another option is clam juice instead of the beef bouillon.
8 oz tomato juice
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Few drops hot sauce
Splash lime juice
Sprinkle of celery seeds
Heat the tomato juice until very hot. Combine with the remaining ingredients and enjoy.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #16: Double the Sleep Power With Con Queso Dip
One of the easiest dips is to mix a can of drained, chopped tomatoes with a cup of shredded cheese. It’s packed with flavor, tryptophan, and melatonin.
One 15 oz can chopped tomatoes with jalapenos, drained.
½ cup grated sharp cheese or used the processed cheese block used in the original recipe
Heat the tomatoes until simmering.
Add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
Serve with crackers. A ¼ cup is a serving with four or five crackers.
Refrigerate any leftovers or share them with others before bed.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #17: Triple Treat Hummus
Puree the beans until completely smooth or leave a bit chunky it’s your choice. If you don’t have pita chips, narrow wedges of flour tortillas work or try a street size taco.
One 15 oz. can garbanzo or white beans
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Combine ingredients in the blender. Makes four servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #18: Super Food Kale Salad
This salad is stuffed with all sorts of good for you ingredients plus it has melatonin, magnesium tryptophan, and potassium. All the ammo you need for a good night’s sleep.
1 cup chopped kale
¼ cup tart dried cherries
1 tablespoon walnuts
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons white beans cooked or canned
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Combine and toss. This makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #19: Sleepy Time Smoothie
Sip your way into a refreshing deep slumber with this smoothie. Don’t worry about the avocado. The flavor is hidden by the pineapple and bananas. The avocado adds creaminess to the drink.
1 cup almond or other nut milk
1 avocado
½ cup bananas1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup ice cubes
Peel the avocado, banana, and pineapple and roughly chop.
Place in a blender with the nut milk and ice cubes
Blend until smooth.
Makes two servings.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #20: Inside Out Turkey Roll-Ups
Turkey wrapped around a tangy goat cheese filling accented with sweet dried apricots and crunchy almonds. Instead of bread on the outside of the wraps, use leftover stuffing on the inside.
Thin slice low sodium deli turkey
1 tablespoon goat or cream cheese
1 tablespoon dried diced apricots
1 tablespoon turkey stuffing
Layer the ingredients on the turkey slice and roll-up. If you don’t have turkey stuffing, use bread crumbs.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #21: Turkey and Cheese Ribbons
These are pretty to look at and fun to eat. You don’t have to thread the ingredients on a skewer, but it makes it a pretty presentation.
1 thin slice of low sodium deli turkey
1 thin slice of cheese
4 or 5 whole spinach leaves (not baby spinach
Cut the turkey slices lengthwise into 3 inch wide rectangles. Each slice should be about 4 to 6 inches long.
Cut the spinach leaves into strips 3 inches wide.
Cut the cheese slices 3 inches wide.
Lay a turkey slice on a plate. Place a cheese slice on top of the turkey. Lay the spinach leaf on top of the cheese.
Weave a wooden skewer in and out of the layers as if you were sewing. From the side, the layers look a bit like a ruffle.
Healthy Sleep Recipes #22: Apricot Rice Pilaf
Jasmine rice is high in glycemic carbs, which nudges up your body’s production of serotonin. Cook up a batch and freeze in half-cup servings. You’ll always have some ready for a bedtime snack.
½ cup cooked jasmine rice
1 tablespoon finely diced dried apricots
1 tablespoon chopped cashews
1 tablespoon flax seeds.
1 teaspoon olive oil.
Combine all ingredients.
Heat for a minute in the microwave or until hot.
Add a dash of garlic and onion powder if you like.
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