Trucker Health | Paleo Diet & Meal Planning
The TruckLogics crew has been testing out some meal plans and recipes that would work for a trucker. Diet fads come and go and not many of them are adaptable to a trucker’s lifestyle. If anything needs to be counted, measured, or weighed out it’s not going to work. Let’s be real. Truckers need a meal plan that doesn’t involve anything extra other than picking out what they want to eat. What we have found that works are a Paleo Diet.
Eating Paleo is simple and it’s not a fru-fru diet. It’s a man’s diet, well technically it’s a caveman’s diet. Any trucker can follow a Paleo meal plan. It’s simple and that’s why we love it so much.
What is Paleo?
Paleo is a diet based on the types of food consumed by early humans. This type of diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. It excludes dairy, grain products, and processed food.
Why is it Perfect for Truckers?
Every time you see a health article published in any trucking magazine or online site, what does it say? Usually, something to the tune of truckers need more protein, fruits, and vegetables. That is exactly what the Paleo Diet is. What makes it even more perfect for truckers is that you don’t have to weigh, measure, or count calories/carbs/fats. The big selling point for this type of diet is that you can still eat bacon, but it needs to be nitrate-free. Most of your meats, sides, and snacks can be prepped before you head out on the road, or you can do it in the cab of your truck if you have the right equipment to cook.
The nutrition you would be consuming eating Paleo is amazing. You will get tons of vitamins and minerals from the food and your body will actually cleanse itself as long as you drink enough water. You will feel better, be more focused, and notice a difference pretty quickly. You will even sleep better. If you are starting any type of lifestyle change, it helps to start by changing your diet first and slowly working in the exercise. You will want to exercise more when you’re eating right and your body will recover a lot easier.
How Do You Start Eating Paleo?
Planning is going to be key when you’re a trucker and wanting to try a new meal plan. You want to aim for three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two snacks.
Breakfast
Your breakfast meals need to be quick, easy, and portable. Misty, aTruckLogics crew member and podcast host, loves to make egg muffins. She will make about six on Sunday so she can have two each morning for a few days. They are filled with protein to get started in the morning and aren’t messy to eat. Misty makes her egg muffins by placing two slices of turkey breast in a muffin mold. Then, she pours in egg whites to fill the mold and sprinkles in some chopped red/green bell peppers. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Lunch
Lunches can be kept really simple. Some veggies and a protein of your choice like steak/chicken/fish/seafood. Bryan, who has been a TruckLogics crew member since the beginning of time, really likes a simple salad for lunch. His ‘Merica Salad was his go-to when we tested the Paleo Diet. It is made with spinach, pecans, blueberries, strawberries, and chicken with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. Spinach is a great base for any salad and you can build it from there and create anything your little heart desires.
Dinner
When it comes to dinner, we usually like our meals to have a bit more gusto. Michelle, TruckLogics crew member, and avid steak n’ potato enthusiast, gladly accepted the Paleo dinner challenge. You’re not supposed to have potatoes when eating Paleo, but you can have sweet potatoes. So Michelle grilled up some grass-fed steak and roasted a cubed sweet potato with a few jalapenos. Then, she mashed the sweet potato, jalapenos, and a little almond milk together and put some chopped green onions on top. This meal will make you believe in Paleo! When you can enjoy a simple meal like steak and mashed jalapeno sweet potatoes, you know you’re living the dream. This dinner can be easily prepped before you head out on the road so you can enjoy it in the comfort of your cab.
Snacks
A great way to keep your blood sugar stable and to keep from overeating later in the evening is to have a few snacks during the day. Usually one between breakfast and lunch and another between lunch and dinner. Kay, TruckLogics crew member and honorable Queen of Snacks, was given the task of figuring out a few easy paleo snacks. A lot of what she came up with included bacon or bison jerky and that’s perfectly ok. She did a great fruit cup with almonds for snack #1 and bison jerky with carrots for snack #2. When it came to bacon, she wanted to try something a little out of her comfort zone. So she made bacon-wrapped figs. They were amazing! You could easily pre-make a big batch of these to take on the road and they will last you a good while. Just try not to eat them all at one time.
With a Little Research, Getting Healthy is Easy
Millions of diets are advertised saying they work for a busy lifestyle, but Paleo is one of the most trucker-friendly diets available. If you want to give it try, do a little research on it and plan out a few days worth of meals. With a little bit of prep, you will be able to save yourself a lot of money by not having to buy meals on the road.
Our Latest Podcast: #26 Web-based Tech & Eating Like A Cave Man
https://s3.amazonaws.com/truckpodcasts/026.mp3
Check Out TruckLogics
TruckLogics is a complete business management program for your trucking business. Give it a test drive with our free 15-day trial. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a personal demo, contact the TruckLogics crew via phone: 704-234-6946 or email: [email protected].
