As a doctor to many teachers, police officers, nurses, and other professionals with demanding schedules in our community, I know there is a huge cry for help coming from many stomachs during long shifts.
I’ve recently learned that teachers are expected to eat lunch either with their kids or during their planning hour-either way, the teachers are working while they are eating. Police officers are on-call during their lunch, meaning if they get a call in the beginning of their meal-mealtime is over. Many nurses find it fits their life better to work longer shifts 3-4 days per week, and this often leads to skipped meals. I am close to many people who travel for a living,
I know eating healthy in the middle of the night at an airport is either impossible or horrendously expensive. I have also learned first-hand that just a little bit of planning goes a long way to insure that bellies and brains are fit to work the long, demanding hours so many of us face. Here are my top snacks that are easy to carry and pack a lot of nutrition into a few bites:
Raw, unsalted nuts. Yes-many poor teachers are banned from having nuts in the classroom due to allergies-but for the majority; nuts are one of the most efficient sources of protein, healthy fats and oils, calories and fiber. Buying raw, unsalted nuts in bulk is economically sound and a couple handfuls in Ziploc bags make a great snack that can be carried anywhere. A mix of raw almonds, cashews and pistachios is also a way to keep the calories in check. Macadamia nuts and pecans have a higher fat and calorie count, but if it’s the only thing you are eating in a 12-hour shift-it’s OK.
No-nut protein options that are also no-fuss include dried meats like beef, turkey, or game-meat jerky, tuna in pouches, and canned beans. These items tend to be packaged with excess salt and other preservatives, but a little label reading at the grocery store can help you pick the healthiest options. Many cheeses can also be left at room temperature for much longer than us Americans are accustomed to. Cheese companies seem to be at the front of the ‘healthy-on-the-go’ train with offering small, well-sealed packages of a wide variety of cheeses. An indulgent lunch of cherries and cream cheese with some almonds and celery sticks can be ready in seconds and won’t send any students to the emergency room.
Whole fruits and vegetables. Many foods do not need refrigeration for a day or two if they are left whole. Whole apples, oranges, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, many berries, peppers-and the list goes on-all can wait patiently on a desk or a counter to share a precious moment with you. The trick is not to buy an entire bag of apples and leave them IN the desk too long. Eating whole foods is also a great way to be more efficient with your nutrient intake. Many juicing, drying, and other processes done to foods often add sugar, salt, and decrease the nutritional density.
What to be careful with: Pre-packaged salads, protein bars, protein shakes, or anything that promises to be ‘healthy, cheap and easy.’ These foods have the potential to be lifesavers, but are too often found to be long distant cousins to anything healthy. The rule of thumb is if you expect a meal replacement bar or shake to have the same nutritional value as a healthy meal, you should expect it to cost about the same as the meal. $4 for a protein bar or $10 for a smoothie may be hard to swallow for some people, but that’s often what it takes to insure your 30 second lunch truly replaces real food.
When needing to feed yourself fast, eating for function instead of for flavor is a must. A small avocado with a handful of cherry tomatoes and raw cashews may not be the most interesting lunch ever-but I guarantee your brain and whoever is depending on you to use yours will thank you.
You can schedule a consultation with Dr. Allen by calling (813) 444-3193.