OTR Eating Healthy And Economically

After doing my two weeks with my training engineer, I realize that eating on the road can be expensive and not healthy if advance planning is not made. (Don't try to exist on the two hot dogs for $3 diet) I didn't bring much with me because I didn't know how much room I would have in the truck. As it turned out, I could have brought plenty of food for two weeks as long as it didn't need to be refrigerated. So, what do you experienced drivers do who want to eat: 1) Healthy. 2) Econonically I'm sure this issue has been expounded upon before, but it would be good for us rookies to get a refresher course.

Walmart is always a good place. If you have a refrigerator and either an electric skillet or hot plate. But that assumes you have an inverter. I also slam down a lot of shakes or smoothies. So a Nurtibullet and lots of fruit.

If you have yet to get your own truck and power is a problem but you have some space in a fridge, most truckstops have microwaves under the coffee bar. They don't mind. You just have to walk inside the truckstop.

Oats are bagged and really don't need anything if you get the good stuff with honey or peanut butter mixed in with it.

If you make it to Florida you can always find fruit stands.

And since I've mentioned it a few times lately... Huel, it's a plant based powder that kinda has an oats taste to it and you can actually live off of it. Throw it in the bullet with some cashew or almond milk with whatever else floats your boat. Peanut butter, strawberry and banana. Don't forget to roll the windows down in a couple of hours. And if you do decide to go full Huel only... Be sure to slowly work up to it.

Moe's Southwest grill... get the bowls. They load them up and its all good for you and as long as you put the Guacamole on the side it's reheatable. So multiple meals out of it.

I'll tell you exactly what I eat/ate OTR. My local ACME supermarket sells Gatorade protein bars. Sometimes you can get them on sale (10 for $10). That's when I buy several boxes. I also get a few bags of trail mix from Walmart. So I basically eat a protein bar for breakfast. Then I munch on a few handfuls of trail mix throughout the day (you don't need much to get enough calories). If I stop for fuel or take a half hour break at a truck stop (usually Loves), I'll grab some fruit. They usually sell two containers of fruit for $5. When I shut down for the night I'll get some more fruit if I don't have any left from my stop earlier in the day. If I'm not at a truck stop I'll just eat half a protein bar. During a 34hour reset I'll get myself at least one "real" meal. It's very boring and not very satisfying but I find that when I'm OTR and constantly on the move, eating for comfort is not a priority. I just want fuel to keep me going. I don't have a refrigerator or anything to cook food with so my options are very limited.

Oddly enough, since I've been doing this dedicated account I'm home more and exercising more but I'm also eating way more and I've gained about 20 pounds over the past 6 months or so.

I stay out between six and eight weeks at a time and have a fridge and microwave in the truck. I try to buy most everything I need at a box store while at home (have a clothes hamper that fits perfectly between the passenger seat and dash that holds a large number of boxes of food.). Pretty boring, but here’s my routine. A flavored oatmeal packet and a fruit cup for breakfast. Pop the oatmeal in the microwave before the morning routine and it will be cooked and cooled by the time I’m back. I like the cherry flavored mixed fruit cup, but there are several varieties that are good. Mid morning snack are some granola bars I’ve found that are tasty and have nothing in them that melt in the heat (less mess in summer.) Lunch is a couple tuna sandwiches on wheat. You can get flavored packets, but my box store sells a box of twelve packets of regular tuna that is really good. My first couple weeks out, I keep some alfalfa sprouts in the fridge that I like on tuna, but nothing else gets added. (Mayo, gross.) Mid afternoon, may be a handful of nuts, or if my sweet tooth is acting up, a tootsie pop, or a couple graham crackers, then supper is a couple more fruit cups-nothing heavy so it’s easy to get to sleep. I like this because nothing other than the sprouts need to be refrigerated, and heat or cold doesn’t really bother any of it. Very easy storage. The big thing for me in keeping off weight is what I drink. Soda, juices, or Gatorade will pack on the pounds for me, so just either water, or my own cold brewed earl grey tea when I get tired of water. My 34 is kind of a cheat day, will go get a sit down meal then.