A healthy lifestyle is key to a successful trucking career. Improve your eating habits and learn how to maintain a balanced diet as a trucker with this guide.
Balancing a healthy lifestyle with a busy work schedule isn’t always easy. When that work schedule keeps you on the road and away from your kitchen, keeping a balanced diet becomes even more difficult. Unhealthy eating habits are common among professional truck drivers, but they don’t have to stay that way. With a little planning, investment, and good decision making, you can replace the gas station and fast-food meals with options that serve your body better. Learn how to maintain a balanced diet as a truck driverwith these tips and tricks.
Make Healthy Meals Available
One of the biggest reasons truck drivers—and everyone else—struggle to maintain a healthy diet is because unhealthy options are often cheaper and more widely available. When you pull into a truck stop or gas station, you’re going to come face to face with candy bars, fried foods, pizza slices, and other tempting options. While healthy options like sliced fruit or hardboiled eggs are available, they often come in smaller quantities and varieties. That means it’s up to you to provide your own healthy and delectable meals. You can stock your cab’s refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken or pasta salad, and other great options. For even more variety, invest in a portable oven to make easy meals like baked chicken or premade casseroles.
Don’t Go Hungry
People who are trying to improve their diet often make the mistake of skipping meals or cutting down on calories. If you truly want to improve your eating habits, one of the besttips for maintaining a balanced diet as a truck driver is to focus on healthy snacking rather than snacking less. Truck drivers need to keep their energy up so they can stay focused and alert on the road. Be prepared when hunger strikes by always having healthy snacks on hand. Try to keep energy bars, veggies and hummus, smoothies, or other options full of vitamins and nutrients in your truck.
Start the Day Right
As a truck driver, you always want to arrive on time. This often means a busy schedule that starts remarkably early in the morning. When breakfast time comes around before the sun rises, it can be tempting to skip the meal or settle for a coffee and junk food. When you skip a good breakfast, you force your body to run on empty for the first part of the day. Give yourself the energy you need for a productive day by eating a healthy morning meal. Options like fresh fruit, whole grain breads, eggs, or Greek yogurt are a tasty way to fuel up before hitting the road at the start of the day.