What to eat: midnight munchies
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If Shanghai was a person, it would be one with a serious case of the night-time munchies.
This is perhaps unavoidable in a 24-hour city where the pressures of work force people to habitually delay dinner in order to meet deadlines. And when so much socializing in Shanghai takes place once the sun goes down anyway, why not combine your fun with eating out?
Although many people swear by the "no food after 8pm" rule (common among locals), it's one many of us are forced to go back on simply to make sure we're eating three meals a day.
This makes the problem of eating healthily a greater imperative, especially considering that late-night meals are usually of the fast-food variety, not exactly lauded for their nutritional value.
Dieticians recommend that if you eat three sufficient meals during the day, it isn't necessary to eat again at night. Easier said than done, especially when you are in the office until well after all of your colleagues have said goodnight. In this instance, dieticians suggest having a small, healthy snack to avoid tiredness.
This type of nutritious pick-me-up won't sabotage any long-term diet plans, they insist, as long as you avoid anything high in fat, and are careful to combine protein and carbohydrate in the meal to balance your blood sugar levels.
In addition to these rules of thumb, there are a few more tips the we discovered about choosing your ideal midnight snack or meal.
Tip 1: Congee for a settled stomach
Congee is basically starch (usually rice) and water. So it not only provides the energy your body needs for nocturnal activity, but it also keeps you fully hydrated. Congee is also particularly easy to digest.
You can try beef congee, fish congee, or, babaozhou (congee made with eight treasures of dates, nuts and beans). Babaozhou not only provides all the nutrients your body needs, but is also known to protect the stomach from infections.
If you don't like rice, oatmeal makes an equally healthy alternative. Oatmeal with pumpkin is a popular home-made dish in Shanghai.
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