What meal should I eat when I get hungry but it's too late to have carbs?

The "common sense" argument sounds very convincing ... at night, your activity level is less, therefore you need less energy, so just eat protein and your body will be forced to burn fat. Sounds great?

Now lets get to the "biochemistry" argument based on science and not speculation. First, you burn more calories throughout the course of the night than you do even 2 hours sitting at your desk during the day, so the activity/calorie argument doesn't hold much water. Your body goes through quite a bit of recuperation during the night and requires energy. Second, there is no magic switch that forces the body to burn fat. This popular myth is perpetuated by the low-carb craze but doesn't hold water unless you are in ketosis, which is a different story. Unless you are in ketosis, your body requires carbs to burn fats. The practice of taking protein only before bed only ensures one thing: that your body will convert the protein to carbohydrates and burn them for energy rather than using it for the building blocks you were hoping.

Your best bet is to have a low glycemic meal with protein and carbs before bed. You can accomplish this by having something high in fiber and/or healthy fats.