When you work as a trucker, finding tasty, heart-healthy foods can be tough. We all know the health dangers that come with hours of sitting behind the wheel, but the issue is compounded by trucks stops that are often full of greasy, salty, or sugary foods and snacks.
Despite the challenges, it is very important that you eat the right foods to maintain a heart-healthy diet and are mindful of the risk factors affecting truck drivers.
Your food needs to be good for you, but it also needs to be easy to store and easy to eat. For example, there’s no doubt that spinach is a heart-healthy food, but it doesn’t keep very long and preparing a spinach dish might take a while. So what are some better options for trucker?
Use these simple tips to become a healthier truck driver.
Heart-Healthy Food for Truckers
Before we dive into meal choices, let’s take a look at some heart-healthy snacks that you can keep in your cab.
Apples
Apples keep for a relatively long time and are an easy healthy snack to store in your truck cab. They’re the classic super fruit, with nutrition for your heart and body. As an added benefit, the fiber content of an apple tends to make you feel full for a longer period of time, contributing to weight loss by lowering your overall daily calorie intake.
A fun family activity may be to bake apple chips during your home time. Core and thinly slice your apple into rings and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at a low oven temperature for an hour or until your apple chips are crisp and golden. If you choose, season with cinnamon for variety and added flavor. You may even find yourself craving this healthy snack over potato chips!
Oranges
Like apples, these fruits keep for a relatively long time and offer a tasty snack. Oranges and other citrus fruits have plenty of nutrition for your heart.
Almonds
These tasty snacks are packed with heart-healthy nutrition, containing lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. Noted health benefits among almond snackers include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels. They can also reduce hunger and promote weight loss. Almonds are easily accessible for truck drivers to snack, found in gas stations and grocery stores. If you can, go with the unsalted option for better nutrition.
Snackers beware, however, consuming more than the recommended one-ounce serving size can have side effects, so consume in moderation. If you believe you may have a nut allergy, steer clear entirely and choose another healthy snack.
Rice Cakes
Okay, this one might take some getting used to, but there are some pretty tasty rice cake options available. You’ll want to check the nutrition facts, but rice cakes are generally much healthier than other snacks.
Dark Chocolate
You’ll obviously want to nosh on this snack in moderation, considering the potential for adding too many calories to your diet and ultimately inches to your waistline, but dark chocolate has some of the most concentrated heart benefits you will find. Rich in flavonoids, which are sourced from cocoa beans, these antioxidents act as disease-fighting agents to attack the free radicals in your body and fight off the deterioration of cells.
Among its most notable benefits, research suggests that dark chocolate may help truck driving professionals, as well as the general population, to lower their risk of heart disease, reduce inflammation and insulin resistance, and improve overall brain function. Beware that dark chocolate may taste bitter at first bite, especially if you are more accustomed to the sweeter milk chocolates. Don't give up on it too soon! As you transition away from sugar-filled milk chocolates to the healthier dark chocolate snack, your tastebuds will adapt allowing you to reap the health benefits.
Raisins
These nutritional little treats are very tasty, and if you can find dark chocolate-coated raisins, then you’re really on to something!
There are many other heart-healthy foods that you can keep in your truck. In general, remember to avoid snacks that use a lot of salt or consist primarily of high-fructose corn syrup.
Choosing the Right Meals on the Road
What about when you sit down at a restaurant or shop for your meal at the truck stop? You can still make heart-healthy choices.
If you are choosing a sandwich, go with lean sliced turkey or chicken instead of beef. This choice will help you avoid cholesterol and can make a difference for your heart health. When selecting a side, avoid fried foods like french fries or onion rings, and try to go with steamed or fresh veggies. If you need to add salt for flavor, do so in moderation. Also, one of the quickest and most effective ways to increase your heart health is to skip the soda. Go with a tea or water. Many types of lemonade rely heavily on sugar, so you’ll want to be wary of choosing this option.
If you can, hit the grocery store instead of the truck stop, as you’ll usually be able to find more heart-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, and lean meats.
Eating healthy as a trucker is an uphill battle, but by using these simple tips, you can increase your heart-health every day.
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