"What should I eat at night to lose weight?" I get asked this a lot. To be honest, there's no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are a few principles that actually work.

Foods I Usually Recommend

1. Protein

Eating some protein at night helps keep you from getting hungry later. Here's what I usually suggest:

• Chicken breast (boiled or pan-fried with little oil)

• Shrimp

• Eggs (one whole egg plus two egg whites works well)

• Tofu

2. Vegetables

You can eat plenty of these, but how you cook them matters. My go-to choices:

• Broccoli, cauliflower

• Spinach, lettuce

• Cucumbers, tomatoes

• Any leafy greens

Heads up: Don't stir-fry with too much oil. Cold salads or lightly boiled is better.

3. Fruit

If you're craving something sweet, stick to these:

• Strawberries, blueberries

• Grapefruit

• Apple (half is enough)

Keep it to one small bowl max.

4. Carbs (optional)

You don't have to eat carbs at night, but if you didn't get enough during the day:

• Oatmeal (a couple spoonfuls)

• Quinoa

• Corn

5. Mushrooms

Shiitake, enoki, wood ear mushrooms... they're low in calories and fill you up.

A Few Things I've Learned

• Timing: Best to finish eating 3 hours before bed. If you sleep at 11, eat by 8.

• How much: Stop when you're about 70% full. No need to stuff yourself.

• How to cook: Less oil, less salt. Steaming or boiling is safest.

• What to skip: Fried stuff, sweets, salty foods — they just make you retain water.

What I Eat (for reference)

• Monday: Pan-fried chicken breast + spinach salad + a few strawberries

• Wednesday: Shrimp scrambled eggs (light on oil) + boiled broccoli

• Friday: Tofu soup (with mushrooms and greens) + half an ear of corn

One Last Thing

Losing weight isn't about starving yourself — it's about eating right. If you get the evening meal right, you'll wake up not feeling hungry, and the scale will keep moving down. If you're so hungry you can't sleep, you probably didn't eat enough during the day, or you ate dinner too early.

Everyone's different. Finding what works for you is what really matters.

Have questions? Drop them in the comments — I check them regularly.