Now is the perfect time to commit to becoming a healthier Class A CDL Truck Driver.
A healthy meal option expertly prepared in a truck by PTI driver Brian Miller.
Don’t think you can do it? Think again because you’re stronger than you realize! All you have to do is develop some healthy habits and stick to them!
Before Hitting the Road:
- Skip the truck stop & fast food –Although this food might be “convenient” when you’re on the road, more often than not it’s bad for your health. This type of food is typically high in calories plus fats. Avoid it at all costs.
- Plan ahead & stock your fridge – In order to skip the food just mentioned, plan ahead and keep the fridge in your truck filled with healthy, low-calorie foods. Fruits, vegetables, low-fat yogurt, low-fat smoothies, and calorie-free drinks are all great options. Also, you can store other healthy options in dry storage. If you keep lower calories snacks like popcorn, beef jerky, and nuts without salt you, then you should be set with good food choices when you’re traveling.
While on the Road:
- Cook meals in your truck – With a hotplate or a microwave, as a truck driver you can cook all sorts of tasty well-balanced meals right in your rig using your new stockpile of healthy foods. This will encourage you to continue skipping the fatty “convenient” foods.
- Cut your carb, sugar, & sodium intake – Whether in excess or even sometimes in small amounts, carbs, sugar, and sodium can really tax your body’s metabolism. This can cause you to feel sluggish and uncomfortable. Sodium also causes bloating and a high sugar diet can even lead to depression in adults. In short, cut out as much as you can of all of them to improve your sleep, mood, energy level, and waistline.
- Eat more protein – When you eat protein in place of carbs, sugar, and fat, the hormone hunger for hunger reduces and different satiety hormone (makes you feel full) increases, which can help you lose weight.
- Substitute butter & oil with healthier options – With a simple substitution, you can actually cut quite a bit of fat from your diet. This leads to an easy way to lose a few pounds. A few healthier options for butter and oil include olive oil, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, avocado, mashed bananas, and applesauce.
- Swap soda & sugary drinks with water – This is an easy way to cut empty calories from your diet. One regular 12 fl. oz. soda can have 140 calories in it, 45 mg of sodium, and 35 g of sugar, which can really add up if you drink more than one per day. Drink water and if you don’t like the taste, add a dash of lime or lemon juice to it for flavor.
During Your Break:
- Move, move and move some more – Even though truck drivers spend a lot of time sitting, there are some convenient ways to get more active throughout the day. When you’re stopped, you can take a quick walk around the parking lot. Or walk around your truck every time you get out, which can lead to getting in an extra half mile of walking a day. Don’t forget about getting in some weight training with a few dumbbells or some cardio by going for a run or bike ride.
Some of the healthy habits mentioned here were shared by professional truck drivers on the Paper Transport, Inc. team, offering what works for them when it comes to living healthy. A big thank you to Brian Miller, Joe Roes, Benjamin Taylor, Frank Levering, and Michael Klinter.
From what our drivers shared, you can see PTI’s driving team is all about supporting one another. If you want to be a member of a supportive team, please call our recruiting team at 1-855-784-5627 or email them at jobs@papertransport.com. You can also visit our job portal to apply for a driving position with PTI today or to learn more about what we have to offer, check out DrivePTI.com.