Healthy food isn’t always the first priority for truckers while on a long haul, but it should never be neglected completely. A high-calorie diet combined with a sedentary lifestyle of a company driver can lead to various health issues, so you should at least try to eat as healthy as you can. Life on the road doesn’t make it very convenient to prepare your own food, to say the least, but there are always ways to improve your diet. So we’ve put together some tips on how to make the most of the resources that are available to you, with little to no effort.
What to Have for Breakfast?
The way you start your morning determines how you are going the feel throughout the whole day. This makes breakfast the crucial meal for everyone, regardless of profession. Your breakfast food should be rich in complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats. That way you’ll get plenty of energy that lasts longer, as opposed to a sugar rush that stops abruptly, leading to a crash and inducing truck driver fatigue. Good options are cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, egg whites, low-fat yogurt. A classic like an omelet is also a great choice as long as it’s not too greasy. If you are making it yourself, throw in all of your favorite veggies and fry on a small knob of butter.
Source: Freepik
Lunch for Truck Drivers
Instead of grabbing some fast food at a truck stop, try one of the healthier meal options that can be prepared right in your truck. You can easily make a grilled chicken salad, preferably with your own dressing, or just with olive oil, lemon, and oregano. Try meat-free options like avocado and tomato sandwich or a spicy avocado wrap. If you’re crunched on time and must resort to fast food, there are smart ways to make the most out of these meals as well. Eat burgers with no buns and no fries, or Egg McMuffins with no muffin or half of the muffin. Avoid sugary drinks – replace them with water or cold-pressed juice. Try hummus, pesto, mustard, or mashed avocado instead of spreads like mayonnaise and ketchup that are high in fats and/or sugar.
Source: Freepik
How to Organize Your Dinner?
Dinner should be your lightest meal. We all love a hearty dinner, but it’s definitely not a healthy habit. Keep your dinner portions small and avoid eating right before bedtime. Buying a slow cooker can be a great solution for healthy food for truckers. You can use it to make BBQ chicken, stew, or pot roast, which are all tasty and healthy meal options. Keep in mind the simple rule that you should always cover half of your plate with veggies and include canned goods like spinach or beans in your diet. This is the way to maximize the amount of nutrients you’re getting from your food. If there are nutrients you believe you’re still lacking, you can get them through vitamins and supplements for truck drivers.
Source: Adobe
Healthy Snacks for Truck Drivers
When you get the urge for a quick snack, it’s easy and compelling to grab a high-calorie treat. If you keep some healthy snack options at hand, you’ll minimize the risk of that happening. It will be more convenient for you to take some almonds or a protein bar from your cabin than to make a stop just to buy something tastier. Hummus and veggies make for a great snack, as well as low-fat string cheese. Fruit is always a great option, whether you eat it plain, in a fruit salad, or mixed with some Greek yogurt. Beef jerky and mixed nuts are excellent snacks but keep in mind that they can be high in calories as well, so take them in smaller portions.
Source: Freepik
Dessert Options
Striving to eat healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up on sweets. You just need to find dessert options that are not filled with sugar and fats. You can try sugar-free sorbet or fat-free ice cream. Frozen yogurt and frozen fruit bars can be as healthy as they are tasty. Dark chocolate is a healthier option than milk chocolate.
Source: Freepik
How to Store Food in Your Truck
Storing food can be tricky for truckers. The biggest problem is usually lack of space in the cabin, but there are some tricks to overcome this. The first thing you want to do is throw away cardboard food packaging. It takes up space and has no real use after you’ve opened it once. You can keep all your food in plastic bags and containers. Sealed bags are the best option since they keep your food fresh longer. You should also take packaged meats out from their Styrofoam containers and put them in sealed bags. Vacuum sealing food storage is the next step in preserving the freshness of your food. It keeps the air out, which helps your food last longer, and saves space in your truck.
When it comes to storing your fruits and vegetables, not everything is supposed to be refrigerated. You should learn if something needs to be kept cold before you decide on how to store it. Those fruits and veggies that go in the refrigerator should be wrapped in paper towels in order to keep out the moisture.
It might not always be possible to avoid unhealthy food for truckers, and it’s ok to give in to your temptation from time to time. But if you try and eat healthy when at all possible, it will make a huge difference to your health and your overall mood. Follow us for more tips on our YouTube channel Extra Mile International Inc Trucking Company, and visit our Instagram profile @extramiletx.
Have a nice trip!
Mia is a Fleet Manager and Recruiter at Extra Mile International, based in Chicago. Mia is over 5 years in the trucking industry while driving trucks for more than 3 years.
