Is it Possible to Eat Healthy on the Road?
Is it Possible to Eat Healthy on the Road?
As a truck driver, one of the many challenges that can arise while working are your food choices. This encompasses what you eat, when you eat and where you eat. Let’s face it, eating on the go puts many in a predisposition to settle for what’s convenient. Although we hate to admit it, convenient foods are not the healthiest. This poses the question for many, is it even possible to eat healthy on the road? The answer is yes! While changing your eating habits on the road may take more preparation than a fast-food drive-thru, the benefits of a healthy lifestyle will be worth it. Here are a few tips for eating healthy while on the road.
Meal-Prep Your Food at Home
Preparing food is easier said than done. This option requires more preparation time than you are mostly likely accustomed to allotting before hitting the road. However, simply meal-prepping a few healthy snacks and meals is a better alternative to stopping at a gas station or picking up fast-food. It is also a good idea to a keep a small cooler in your truck for the meal-prepped foods. Once you have meal-prepped for the week, you don’t have to worry about where or what you are going to eat every day. How nice is that?
An easy place to start meal-prepping is with a sheet pan recipe. Throw any veggies onto a pan and add your desired meat or protein of choice. Finally, season the veggies and bake. Sheet pan recipes are easy to separate into portions and divide into food storage containers to eat throughout the week.
Putting together a grocery list with healthy options will make your decisions at the grocery store much more efficient and meal-prepping much easier. Without sticking to a list, you may find yourself sneaking that pack of Oreos into your cart. Start by categorizing your list into fruits, vegetables, meat/protein, milk/dairy and breads/grains. From there, brainstorm some of your favorite foods or drinks in each group and refrain from incorporating unhealthy options. It is important to keep in mind smart snacking when buying your groceries. Consider buying individually portioned snacks or pre-portion your snacks at home to avoid overeating.
Timing is Everything
A daily meal schedule typically includes three meals with one or two snacks throughout the day. Not all truck drivers work during normal hours, so it can be difficult to set specific times dedicated to eating. Eating every three to four hours is essential to keep your blood sugar consistent and aid your stomach in optimal digestion. According to the Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR), scheduling when and what you eat will help maintain a balanced diet and create a more stable energy source. While most healthy eating is watching what you eat, it’s not everything. The timing of your meals plays a major factor in a healthy lifestyle.
Know Your Options on the Road
For some truck drivers, spending time meal-prepping and grocery shopping is not a priority, especially when your time off road is spent with friends and family. Simply knowing your options on the road, such as where to stop for healthy food options may be the start to your healthy lifestyle. TravelCenters of America recently launched a campaign promoting healthy eating on the road for truck drivers. Cleveland Clinic has partnered with the organization to provide meal options to drivers that support optimal health. These options are outlined in guidelines from Cleveland Clinic suggesting appropriate nutritional values to consider for each meal. These suggestions include limiting your meal to have:
- Less than 23 grams of added sugars
- Less than 11 grams of saturated fats
- Less than 765 grams of sodium
Country Pride and Iron Skillet restaurants have added select menu items to their menus to support optimal healthy eating.
Eating Healthy is possible on the road with a little time and preparation. While it is sometimes more convenient to choose the unhealthy option, take time to think through your meals and consider their nutritional value. PTP Transport values the health and safety of our truck drivers while on the road. To learn more driver tips and tricks, check out our blog.
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