Healthy Eating on the Road: A Driver’s Guide

For truck drivers, eating healthy can be difficult, given the long hours on the road. Many of them have diets that mainly consist of fast food or gas station snacks due to their convenience.  But with some smart planning and proper food storage, truckers can have a much healthier and more balanced diet, all while staying on schedule.

In this article, we'll offer some practical tips for meal planning and food storage so truck drivers can eat healthier on the road. 

The Importance of Healthy Eating for Truckers

With the need for sustained concentration and physical endurance, truck driving is a demanding profession. This, with the aforementioned typical propensity for fast food, leads to negative long-term health outcomes.  Studies show that truck drivers are at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity compared to other adults. 

But even in the short term, eating more healthily can improve truckers' energy levels and their ability to focus on the road. This can help prevent fatal road accidents that endanger both the trucker and others. 

Meal Planning 

Since truckers are always on the road, they can't really cook.  And so, to eat healthy, they need to meal plan and store food to keep them fresh.

With just a little preparation, truckers avoid eating at fast food chains all the time and have nutritious, home-cooked meals instead. 

Create a Meal Plan for Your Trip

Before you head out and hit the road, set aside time to plan and cook meals that will last the entire trip (or at least for most of it). Consider recipes that are easy to cook in bulk, portion, and  store, like:

• Grilled chicken with quinoa and steamed vegetables;
• Hard-boiled eggs with whole-grain toast;
• Turkey and avocado wraps;
• Overnight oats with nuts, fruit, and honey;
• Chili with lean ground beef and beans;
• Stir-fried vegetables with brown rice;
• Homemade soups and stews;
• Grilled or roasted chicken with sweet potatoes.

Snack Smart

Long drives can make you go hungry. Instead of always snacking on mass-produced products like chips, candy, chocolate, or packaged baked goods, bring more nutritious  snacks like:

• Mixed nuts and seeds;
• Beef jerky;
• Greek yoghurt with honey;
• Fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes;
• Hummus with whole-grain crackers or veggie sticks;
• String cheese or cottage cheese.

Food Storage

It's always easier to just go to the fast food chain or convenience store, yes.

But remember: it's worth staying healthy for your own wellbeing and the goals that you're working for in the first place. Here's how to store your food when you're on the road.

Use a Portable Fridge or Cooler

A mini-fridge or high-quality cooler is a worthwhile investment. Look for products that can plug into the truck's battery (though most mini-fridges should be able to anyway).

You can then use this to store your cooking and drinks. This allows you a wider variety of meal options--and fresher meals!

Store Dry Goods Efficiently

Invest in organisers for your dry goods as well (like your canned beans, whole grains, protein bars, and peanut butter). For example, stackable plastic bins can help you bring lots of dry goods and save space in the truck. 

Use Vacuum-Sealed Bags

Vacuum sealing doesn't just significantly delay spoiling; it also saves space.

Use vacuum-sealed bags for pre-cooked proteins, chopped vegetables, and other fresh, perishable ingredients.

Label and Date Everything

Perhaps the most under-utilized meal planning and food storage tip of all make sure to label each food container with the dates. You can then track the freshness of each package, allowing you to consume it while it's fresh and avoid waste.

Other Tips for Healthier Eating

If you're interested in healthier eating then here are a few more tips on how you can eat healthy while doing your demanding job.

Buy Fresh from Local Markets

If possible, buy fresh food and ingredients from local markets, especially if you've run out of fresh food or if they've already gone bad. Too many drivers forget that this is an option!

Practice Portion Control

Either out of boredom or stress (or both), many drivers habitually snack.

And as mentioned, they most often snack on unhealthy, mass-produced goods. This, together with the fact that they don't get much exercise, can contribute to overeating. When meal-planning, portion out appropriate amounts of food for each meal and snack on healthier options like fruits.

Hydrate

Hydration is an important yet often under-discussed part of nutrition!

Make sure you bring and drink enough water throughout your trips. 

Check the Label

Of course, it's not wrong to snack on some convenience store goodies every once in a while. But make it a habit to check the label to know what you're getting. Some protein bars, for example, are not very high in protein and are higher in sugar instead!

When Eating Out

However, there will come times when eating out at local restaurants is your only choice.

While restaurants typically use more salt, sugar, and oil to make their food as tasty as possible, you can still eat healthy. You can do this by simply choosing restaurants that offer healthier dishes. Choose restaurants that offer salads, for example.

Or those that have grilled or roasted protein options instead of fried.  A pro tip for this: use a VPN. They're used to protect your data when you're using public Wi-Fi and answer questions like What is my IP number? (which can come in handy on the road). 

But you can also use it to change your location. This allows you to see search results that are local to that area. So you'll be able to search for restaurants there and their food options more easily.

For example, if you're currently in London but will be in Edinburgh, you can use a VPN and change your location to Edinburgh.

Then, when searching, you'll see Edinburgh restaurants, and you can pick out those with the healthiest options.