There's nothing quite like the private pleasure of late night snacking. It seems so sinful to wreck your metabolism, but oh is it worth it. From sensing the first twinges of your nocturnal hunger pangs to finally satiating your appetite, the late night noshing process lends itself to a perfect zen-like state.

Deep in the night, as you're pottering away on your computer, or curled up in bed with a book, or sprawled out in front of the television, the late night snack serves as an excellent accompaniment to almost any night-time activity, often enhancing the process. For me, it is sometimes crucial to my winding down for the night.

Over the years, I've discovered that my late night food cravings tend to operate in a cyclical fashion. I'll spend a month or so almost regularly eating a certain snack before moving seamlessly to another trusty snack stalwart. My choices typically include:

• Buttered Toast: sometimes topped with caramelised sugar; a childhood throwback
• Croissants: either really melt-in-your-mouth buttery or filled with chocolate sprinkles or custard cream
• McVities Chocolate Digestives with warm milk: a Brit classic that socks a meaner snacking punch than the chocolate chip cookie
• Pita Pizzas: my quick concoction involves topping your basic pita bread with assorted shredded cheeses of choice, fresh basil leaves, and chopped Roma tomatoes baked to warm, cheesy goodness
• And finally, my all-time-snack-of-choice...the Cheese Sandwich

If you have a habit of snacking late at night, what grub go-tos do you rely on to satisfy those hunger pangs?

Posted by Natasha D'Souza on 2006/07/24 @ 11:18 |