How to Eat Healthy as a Truck Driver
With a few healthy alternatives, you can eat healthy as a truck driver, while still taking in the food you need to stay focused on your job. Truck drivers often eat compulsively, using the process of eating as a way to stay alert and in control while driving. This often leads to a very unhealthy diet for truckers who drive eight or more hours each day. Eating healthier is a process of changing your habits and making smarter food selections.
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Instructions
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Keep a small refrigerator, or ice chest, in your cab. Stock it with zero calorie foods, which burn more calories to digest than they add to your body. Include foods like celery and pickles -- snacks you can grab and eat easily while driving. Eat these foods when you are hungry or just need to eat something to keep your mind focused and your attention on the road. And eat a few more of these right before you walk into a restaurant or truck stop.
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Make a plan for a few daily snacks, packing things you intend to eat each day. Design your list based on the necessary nutrients your body needs. For example, salted almonds are an excellent source of fiber, and grapefruit provides vitamins A and C. Plan to eat one of each item from your snack pack each day. Keep it near you as you drive, for times when you crave something other than celery or pickles.
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Read the nutrition labels on everything you buy, locating problem foods by examining health facts. Keep a list of your necessary daily vitamins, as well as your daily limits. For instance, you may require 60 mg of Vitamin C, 18 mg of iron and 1,000 mg of calcium each day, while limiting yourself to 65 mg of fat, 2,000 calories and 2,400 mg of sodium. Keep a running total each day of the things you eat, adding each vitamin, as well as calories, fat and sodium. If you are dieting, you can decrease your caloric and fat intake each day to help you shed some pounds. Compare the foods you buy to these numbers, and begin making dietary decisions based on your daily limits. Use this to convince yourself that bag of chips you would like to eat may not be worth your daily limit for fat intake.
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Ask your waitress for a copy of the nutrition guidelines for the food at restaurants where you eat. Make your evening dining decisions based on these facts and the food you have already eaten during the day. Check your daily list, and add your meal's nutrition to the list. On days when you are close to your limit of fat, calories or sodium, look for healthier alternatives, such as salads or fruit for dinner.
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References
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