Truck drivers face strict regulations limiting the number of hours they work in a day. Consequently, many focus on delivering the shipments on time that they forget about their health. The nature of the job is also not forgiving, because being behind the wheel means living a sedentary lifestyle. We understand these challenges, and that’s why we advocate that our drivers follow healthy diets to improve their health and avoid the financial burden associated with ill health.
Below are top healthy truck driver meals that will help you as a truck driver avoid gaining excess weight, prevent diet-related diseases, lower your healthcare costs, and avoid challenges in old age. How do you do this? Pre-planning and making smart choices is a good way to deal with this problem! Let’s start with healthy tips you can do while on the road.
Water
It is important to get adequate hydration. This will help you with sustained energy, digestion, and overall health. Drinking more water will make you feel full and thus avoid overeating. Choose it over soda and juice, which could add extra calories and form fat on your body. Water is one of the most crucial aspects of your diet – don’t forget this. It will even help the environment if you carried in a reusable bottle.
Pre-plan Your Meals
Having a fridge in the truck will be beneficial to reserve fresh groceries and food you have planned for the trip. By preparing your own meals for the road it will allow you to have healthy tasty food close at hand and it will diminish the risk of getting tempted to stop at a fast food restaurant. When the supplies are ending, stop at a grocery store to buy more food that will fit your healthy diet.
Snacks are also a big part of this process. Instead of stopping by a truck stop and getting candy, chips or other unhealthy snacks and drinks, you can prepare a cooler with fruits, nuts, and yogurt that will fulfill your hunger and will not damage your body or waste a lot of money.
Fiber-Rich Foods
There is a wide variety of fiber-rich foods out there that you can add to your diet. They include raw nuts, brown rice, beans, whole grain bread, and fresh fruits and vegetables. You can enjoy as many fresh salads as you need, while over the road, just remember to avoid salad dressings with high sugar and fat – opt for a vinaigrette or balsamic dressings with olive oil. With foods like these that contain high fiber, you will feel fuller longer and it will prevent you from overeating. Try these healthy food options:
- Fresh fruit
- Yogurt
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Oatmeal
- Veggies
- Peanut butter
- Cheese
- Protein Shake
- Coffee
Control Your Portions
If you grab a bigger portion, you will eat more. So controlling your food intake, would be the easiest if you prepared your own food because then you know your needs and body and are able to cook accordingly. If you follow these tips you will be able to have better nutrition and control over your food choices and soon enough sticking to it will not feel like a burden.
Fortunately, obesity, poor health, and being overweight doesn’t have to be your fate as a truck driver. By following these tips, you can learn about things that make eating healthy on the road easy, like how to make healthy on-the-go meals, which healthy on-the-go snacks to choose, and how to master the art of cooking in a semi-truck. Go hit the road and stay healthy!