Skip The Truck Stop Food: How To Eat Healthy When You Work On The Road

When you work as a truck driver, it can be difficult to stay healthy. The demands on your time and the convenience of fast food can lead you to be looking for the nearest truck stop diner or take-out place as you start feeling those hunger pangs. Luckily, it doesn't always have to be this way. Here are some tips to help you take control of your diet and start eating healthier while you're on the road.

Drink Lots of Water

The cheap coffee at the local truck stop is tempting, as is the caffeine jolt that it can provide. Unfortunately, it doesn't do quite as much for hydration as bottles of water can do for you. Replace every other cup of coffee with a bottle of water to help you reduce your caffeine intake and increase the water your body gets during the day.

Dehydration can lead to headaches, sluggish feelings and even muscle aches. By making sure that you get enough water on a daily basis, you'll fight these issues and keep your muscles hydrated enough to help avoid injuries.

Plan Out Your Route Daily

Before you hit the road for your day's run, take time to plan out your route and consider where you'll stop for meals. If you can stop in a rest area along the way at a pre-planned interval, you can make your own meal instead of driving until you're starving and grabbing the first fast food you see. And, by planning it out this way, you could even look for a grocery store where you could build a salad or grab something else fresh from the produce area.

Make Time for Breakfast

You can only drive a certain number of hours every day, so if you plan your rest time carefully, you can even allow time to eat a healthy, balanced and hearty breakfast. Keep things like multi-grain bread, bran muffins and fresh fruit on hand at all times so that you can grab breakfast on the go. If you have a freezer, you might even want to have frozen breakfast sandwiches that you can heat up for something with substance.

Don't Snack and Drive

Mindless snacking, as can happen when you're driving, is not good for your daily calorie intake. Avoid snacking aimlessly on large packages of anything while you're driving. Instead, have pre-measured snacks in storage bags or containers that you keep accessible from the driver's seat. That way, you can have one at snack time without disrupting your entire day's nutritional efforts.

When you drive a truck for a living, nutrition can be one of the biggest challenges that you face. With the tips presented here, you can avoid many of the common pitfalls of food choices on the road and improve your overall health.