Healthy eating tips for shift workers

If you’re a shift worker, it can be hard to stay on top of your health, especially when your usual waking and sleeping hours are disrupted. Because many shift workers often see fluctuations in their weight and overall health, it’s important to prioritise a healthy diet as much as possible. Here are a few tips that might just help!

1. Watch your sugar and caffeine intake

It can be really tempting to reach for a sugar-loaded energy drink or make yourself your fifth coffee of the day to give you a boost, but this isn’t going to be good for your overall health. It might give you a much-needed spike of energy in the short-term, but the long-term effects just aren’t worth it. 

Your sleep quality will decline, and your moods will be up and down like a rollercoaster. Instead of loading up with sugar and caffeine, try to opt for drinks that will give you a more sustained energy release such as green tea.

2. Choose the healthier option where possible

When you’re on the go and don’t have a lot of time for a meal, it’s easy to go with the fastest option, and that’s usually some form of greasy fast-food. Whilst this might satisfy you sooner, it’ll leave you sluggish as you try to make it through the rest of your shift.

Although it might not always be possible, try to choose the healthiest option available. Most service stations and dairies will have a healthier option such as a sandwich or a salad so if you try to choose that option whenever you can, your body will definitely thank you for it!

3. Pack your own food

To avoid heading out to buy whatever is available at the time, try to plan and pack your own food. This is especially important if you don’t have many food options around where you work, or they’re all some form of fast-food. 

If you prepare a meal yourself, you can make sure you always have a healthy option as well as some nutritious snacks. This will make it easier to ignore fast-food outlets and will actually save you time if you’re on the go!

4. Eat your main meal before you start your shift

Depending on the kind of shift you’re working, eating your main meal before you head to work is often a good idea to give you energy and help you avoid unhealthy alternatives. 

Especially if you’re working a night shift, eating larger meals during the night can actually leave you feeling worse off and can disrupt your daily sleeping and bowel habits. If you need to eat during your shift, try to keep the meals or snacks smaller so you don’t feel so heavy and lethargic.

5. Eat with others when you can

Not every shift worker has this option, and you may very well find yourself eating alone a lot of the time. However where possible, it’s a good idea to eat at the same time as others around you to help you curb any cravings or boredom-busting snacks. 

Eating with others also helps you to have great conversations about healthy eating and you can pick up helpful tips from those around for how they manage their health on shift. It’ll also boost your social interaction levels which will help you feel happier too!