One of the challenges drivers face is lack of easy access to inexpensive and healthy food. Truck stops are well stocked with deals on jumbo candy bars and sodas. Restaurant specials often revolve around high-calorie offerings. Healthy food is available, but doesn’t dominate the selection and is rarely on sale.

The places where you can find easy parking are truck stops, and that’s where they have mostly garbage. The easy stuff to run in and grab on the fly. 

Sadly, when you look in a lot of the car portions of the truck stops, they’ll have fresh fruit containers, but when you go to the fuel desk it’s king-size candy bars. Okay, there are some days you just need a Snickers bar, but you don’t need a king-size one.

Despite the on-the-road obstacles to healthy eating, there are ways to keep your meals quick, easy and cheap and believe it or not, healthy! 

In this blog you will find healthy and quick recipes you can make on the road. You will also get tips and tricks for staying active and how to make the most of your breaks! 

Breakfast for Truck Drivers

While this meal is crucial for everyone, it’s especially important for drivers. A nutritious breakfast helps keep your energy up — very important when you’re on the road for long periods at a time. A healthy breakfast doesn’t have to take long to make either. Try these healthy breakfast items:

• Oatmeal
• Fresh fruit
• Low-fat yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Whole-wheat toast with peanut butter
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Egg whites (available in a carton for easy cooking)
• Protein/cereal bars

Prime Breakfast Tip: Your breakfast foods should be made up of protein, complex carbs, calcium, and healthy fats. You don’t want anything high in sugar as it will lead to a crash later.

Lunch for Truck Drivers

No need to make a stop for fast food! There are many quick and light lunch options that can be prepared in your truck. Lunchtime is an easy opportunity to make better choices, like switching bread for veggies or choosing water over soda. Take a look at these healthy and simple lunch recipes:

Tomato and avocado sandwich (tasty add ons: basil or lettuce)

Tomato and avocado sandwich

Turkey wrap: whole-wheat tortilla, turkey, romaine lettuce, low-fat cheese and mustard

Whole-wheat turkey wrap

Grilled chicken salad with low fat dressing

Grilled chicken salad with fat free honey mustard

Veggie or turkey burger (hold the mayo, ketchup and cheese, please!)

Veggie burger with tomato, lettuce and onion

Prime Lunch Tip: Swap out more unhealthy sauces and spreads like mayonnaise for healthy, flavorful ones like mashed avocado, mustard, hummus or pesto.

Dinner for Truck Drivers

Instead of picking up a bucket of fried chicken or a large pepperoni pizza at night, make your own delicious and healthy dinner. Suggestion: invest in a slow cooker. You can find both 12 volt as well as traditional AC power slow cookers, so choose whichever is most convenient for your living arrangement. With a slow cooker, you can make meals like pot roast, BBQ chicken, beef stew, and pork chops. Pair them with a canned side such as beans (green, pinto, black, kidney, etc…), spinach or stir-fry vegetables. Low-sodium soup is another healthy and simple truck driver dinner choice.

Prime Dinner Tip: Contrary to common American behavior, dinner should be your smallest meal of the day. Stick to smaller portions, and even though you may be on a tight schedule, try your best not to eat dinner too close to bedtime.