Smart Snacking For The Long Haul Trucker
Sensible snacking is a must for any driver. But, that’s easier said than done. Consistently eating healthy foods and packing nutrition-rich snacks can be a huge challenge for professional long haul drivers who are on the road more often than they’re at home. Not to mention the fact that a jam-packed schedule and the constant struggle to find places to purchase healthy foods can make eating well an ongoing challenge.
The solution? Tote along as many healthy meals and snacks as you can. It’s a great way to save money plus you can easily keep track of all the ingredients in each food item. Or, if you just don’t have time to pack food before you leave, take the time now to become familiar with what comprises healthy snacks so that you know what to look for when you hit large outlets like Walmart and other grocery stores. Yes, we know it’s not easy to snack well all the time and healthy eating requires commitment and planning. But, the results are worth it.
What Snacks To Look For: Healthy Snacking For Truckers
Our advice is to keep things simple by opting for nutrient dense foods. The more nutrition every snack has, the better you can nourish your body with to keep you going on your long days. We know it’s easy to reach for that chocolate bar or bag of chips, but it will only keep you satisfied for a short time before you get hungry again. That’s a lot of empty calories to take in at once. Instead, try out some of our favorite quick and convenient snack ideas that you can easily grab from any supermarket or quickly make yourself at home:
Protein
These options are all fantastic sources of protein that will fill you up and keep you that way for the long haul. We love almonds, low calorie protein bars, and hard boiled eggs as snacks. Buy almonds and protein bars in bulk and make a dozen hard boiled eggs all at once. These 3 items are all relatively mess-free to eat and easy to pack. Protein shakes are great too. All you have to do is add water, shake, and you’ve got a filling, vitamin-rich drink ready to go. For lunches and dinners, opt for beans, fish, cottage cheese, lean pork, and grilled chicken served on top of greens in an easy-to-clean tupperware container.
Fresh Vegetables
Eat your vegetables. Throw celery, baby carrots, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, and cucumbers into a bag and eat with a low calorie dip. We’re big fans of eating our veggies with hummus, which you can easily buy at any grocery store or make on your own. Dips can also be bought in any grocery store — just make sure they’re the low-calorie, low fat ones.
Fresh Fruit
Easy-to-hold fruits like apples, bananas, and pears are easy to carry and make for a sweet snack and quick energy boost when you need it. You can also purchase containers of pre-cut fruit in stores if you don’t have time for anything else.
Low-Fat Yogurt
This one is a particular favorite of ours. Pair any low fat yogurt cup with some granola for a sweet and savory snack that almost feels like dessert. Almost. Don’t have any granola on hand? Stir in some trail mix containing dried fruit and nuts and you’ve got a nutrient dense and tasty snack that’s easy to pack. Make the trail mix yourself or buy it bulk from the store. Keep it simple and you’ll always win.
Healthy Snacks For Truckers: Keep It Simple
The moral of the story here is to do your best to always have healthy snacks on hand so that you can satisfy cravings without turning to junk food. We know it’s not always easy to get nutritious snacks while on the road. But, you can at least know what to look for and make the best choices possible whether you’re at a grocery store or a truck stop. Packing snacks requires a little advanced planning, but it can be done. Put a little extra effort into proper nutrition and we promise you’ll benefit from improved focus and concentration on your next long haul.
For more information about truck driver health and wellness be sure to check out this blog post: Truck Driver Ergonomics: Best Practices and Tips
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