Ways to Eat Healthy while Over the Road (OTR) | Trucker’s Health

Truck drivers that travel long distances are typically away from home for weeks if not months at a time.  For some OTR truck drivers it’s tough, not just on your family life, but most importantly your health.  The occupation is considered sedentary and can lead to a very unhealthy lifestyle.  However, I’m seeing more and more truckers being physically active at truck stops.  I met one that had just finished riding 20 miles on his road bike!  We see that health is a concern among truckers, so we wanted to share ways to eat healthy while over the road.

1. Drink Plenty of Water- The best way to flush out all toxins from your body is to drink more water. Drinking more water will keep you hydrated and alert while driving for long hauls. So, keep a cooler in the truck filled with water.
2. Plan Ahead/Meal Prep- Truck stops and rest areas are major contributors to the problem of poor driver health.  Healthy food choices are slim to none at truck stops and/or rest areas, so you have to be proactive in planning and prepping meals ahead.  If you know that you’re going to be away from home, take the time to pack portable meals and snacks like nuts, fruits, granola and/or protein bars, sandwiches, lean cold cuts and don’t forget bottled water!
3. Better Food Choices- You have to be mindful of what you eat while over the road because you don’t want to feel heavy and sluggish while driving, instead you want to feel satiated and alert. If you have to eat at a truck stop, rest area or fast food place then make better choices.  There are easy swaps you can make to help keep you healthy on the road.  For example, choose baked or grilled instead of fried foods.  You can make simple swaps for healthier alternatives like mustard rather than mayo, whole grain breads instead of white.  You can even make better choices at a drive thru, for instance order a side salad and water for your combo in place of fries and carbonated soft drinks.  There is bad temptation on the road, but there are also better and healthier options.

We hope you find these tips helpful and most importantly, we hope that you do make better food choices while over the road.

Levon Hinton

Trucker/Writer/Blogger