How Drivers Can Eat Healthy While On The Go

There are many factors that contribute to widespread health concerns, but occupational habits are often overlooked. In an industry like trucking, which has you constantly traveling with an inflexible schedule, convenient food choices rule the road. However, convenient doesn’t have to mean bad for you. Today we’re here to offer four easy steps you can take to improve your diet on the go.

Drink More Water

The simplest change you can make to your food and drink routine is adding more water. If you already drink water, adding another cup or two shouldn't be hard. If you have difficulty drinking water, try flavoring it with fresh fruit, or try sparkling or mineral water, and keep a jug with you at all times. Remember to drink throughout the day and not to wait until you’re thirsty. Besides being necessary for you to survive, water has other health benefits, including:

• It helps maintain a healthy digestive system;
• It can reduce hunger pains and allow you to make a more sensible selection when you finally get time to eat;
• It supports and strengthens your immune system; and,
• It increases energy and relieves fatigue.

Eat Fruits & Vegetables More Often

Healthy, on-the-go foods can be harder to come by than junk foods. One reason for this is the lack of convenient, healthy choices. Fruits and veggies, however, are a great alternative to unhealthy snacks.

You can take an apple, banana, grapes, or strawberries with you and they will last a while before you need to eat them. Many fruits, like apples, are high in fiber; and certain berries, like blueberries, are high in antioxidants, so you can get a great balance of crucial nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in your diet without consuming heavy, cooked foods.

On the go veggies like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli are great snacks and can be paired with hummus or other dips. There are kale chips, sweet potato chips, beet chips and other alternatives for a good, healthy snack on the go. You can also drink your veggies in the form of pressed juices, mixed with some fruits, to help with the taste.

Avoid Sugars, Choose Real Alternatives

This really goes without saying. Sugars, even artificial and low-caloric versions, have the same disadvantages. They provide no value to your diet and can cause adverse reactions in behavior and moods.

Regardless of the brand name or amount included in a specific food, sugar is one of the most widely consumed ingredients, as well as one of the unhealthiest. Sugar can be hidden in large quantities in foods like flavored milk, processed peanut butter, and condiments. It’s ok to eat sugars from fruits but avoid added sugars as much as possible.

Make sure to read the labels to avoid accidentally spiking your sugar intake. If you haven’t already tried plant-based alternative sweeteners, take a chance and sweeten your morning cup of coffee with stevia or agave.

Limit Unhealthy Fast Foods

It’s tempting to eat at fast food joints, because they are convenient, but the truth is that the healthy options are slim while the grease, fat, sugar, and processed ingredients are available in abundance. Here are a few tips to help you stick to healthier options:

• If you have no other options, pick fast food restaurants where you can opt for salads, soups, and vegetables.
• Skip the unneeded calories in a soda and opt for a bottled water, coffee or unsweetened tea.
• Pack your meals and snacks ahead of time whenever possible. Include an extra meal just in case.
• Stock up and snack on homemade granola, protein shakes, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies.

All of the tips above are reasonable changes to make but don’t forget, your body needs routine maintenance. Don’t think of it as a diet, instead make it a lifestyle. Also, it’s ok to indulge and treat yourself once in a while, just do so in moderation.