Eating. It’s something your drivers do every day, but how often do they consciously think about their food choices and how those choices can impact their overall health? For drivers, eating habits are greatly impacted by logistics. For example, they typically have to find something fast to eat at a truck stop. Unfortunately what’s often most convenient for drivers isn’t always what’s healthiest.

We turned to Carolyn Burdsall, a registered clinical dietitian with 24 years of experience at Hendricks Regional Health in Indiana, for advice on how drivers can make healthy food choices while on the road.

Protective Insurance: Why should drivers care about what they eat?

Carolyn Burdsall: Eating habits are one of our lifestyle practices that can have a huge impact on our health. Many of us have risk factors for health problems that we cannot change (e.g., age, gender, family history), but the way we eat is something we can change.

PI: How does eating impact a driver’s overall health?

CB: Certainly diets that are excessive in calories can lead to weight gain and carrying extra weight increases risk for heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancers and joint problems. Eating some specific foods can directly increase our blood pressure or cholesterol levels. Following a healthier eating plan tends to make people feel better overall and have more energy, but there are no magic bullets where food is concerned.

PI: What does it mean to “budget calories” and how many calories should drivers eat a day?

CB: There are a certain number of calories that each of us requires to meet our needs and that number varies from person to person based on a variety of factors such as age, gender and activity level. Most of us exceed this target. If we want to stay within our calorie target, we have to adjust our food choices to do this. If we know one particular meal or food item will cost us more calories, we have to purposely try to “spend” fewer calories at other meals or on other food items. If we set a target of 2,000 calories per day and spend 1,900 of these by 8 a.m., it’s going to be a long day if we want to stay within our budget!

Determining a person’s calorie needs is not an exact science, but a reasonable starting point for most people is 10 – 12 calories per pound. That means a person weighing 200 pounds should shoot for about 2,000 – 2,400 calories per day. 

PI: Why is it important to complement eating right with being physically active?

CB: Imagine weight management as a teeter totter. On one side are the calories we bring in (food) and on the other side are the calories we burn up in the course of the day. If we eat more than we burn, we will gain weight.

We burn calories through all of our normal daily activities, but regular physical activity in addition to our daily normal routine brings with it a lot of health benefits in addition to weight loss. Exercise is also a great stress buster.

PI: How can drivers eat healthy while on the road? What are some healthy meal and snack options?

CB: The current model for healthy eating is the “Plate Method,” based on a standard nine-inch dinner plate. Fill a quarter of the plate with meat, a quarter with starch (potato, rice, pasta, bread) and half with veggies. Add a glass of low fat milk and fruit for dessert and you’ve got a well-balanced meal!

If we use this guide for packing a cooler to keep in your cab, stock up on raw veggies, fresh fruit or unsweetened individual fruit cups. Add a sandwich on whole grain bread or a pita made with lean meat such as deli ham or turkey. Go light on the condiments. If you want a crunchy snack, try a handful of pretzels, dry whole grain cereal or snack mix instead of chips which have a lot of fat, salt and calories without a lot of nutritional value. Remember that even healthy choices give us too many calories if your portion is too big.

PI: What advice do you have for making healthy choices at fast food restaurants and truck stops?

CB: Whenever possible, avoid the fried choices. Go with a grilled chicken sandwich or more basic burger, ideally on a whole grain bun. Load up on the tomato, lettuce, onion or pickle, but ask for the mayo on the side or skip it altogether. Instead of fries, many restaurants offer small side salads or fruit. Don’t use too much salad dressing though! Grilled snack wraps light on the sauces, chili and basic tacos are also good choices.

PI: Driver fatigue is a real concern, especially with long hours on the road. Are there any foods that help boost energy in a natural way?

CB: Many people reach for food or drinks to give them energy when what they really need is sleep. Sleep deprivation cannot be corrected by any foods. With that said, however, eating “heavier” meals is more likely to lead to fatigue as we work harder to digest them. A better strategy is to eat smaller amounts more often through the day.

Drivers should avoid energy drinks. There is mounting evidence that energy drinks are harmful to our health, especially in large quantities. They usually contain much greater amounts of caffeine than coffee or tea and often contain additional stimulants as well. Many are also loaded with sugar and calories. There are many reports of severe reactions or even deaths associated with energy drinks. 

PI: Do you have any other advice for drivers?

CB: Be very discriminating in what you believe. There is a lot of nutrition misinformation out there. Consider the source carefully and also think about whether or not there is any common sense in what is being recommended.