Anyone who sits for a long time in everyday life and has little opportunity to move will unfortunately gain weight all too quickly. If you are also struggling with being overweight because of your job behind the wheel, you can replace small meals with healthy snacks that have few calories but many healthy nutrients. They are not heavy and make you feel good, while at the same time they do not settle directly on the stomach.
1. Low carb snacks – the good old apple
If you get a little peckish, it’s best to have an apple. The fruit lasts for a long time, is easy to transport and store without going off. It has a strong taste of its own and ensures that the feeling of hunger at the next meal is less pronounced. It also provides your body with many valuable vitamins.
2. Craving something sweet – the banana
In addition to the minerals magnesium and potassium, the banana also contains sugar – the riper it is, the sweeter it tastes. However, it is still preferable to the chocolate bar from the petrol station, as it also contains vitamins, fibre and important trace elements. It also promotes healthy digestion because it contains pectin.
3. Vegetable sticks with dip
Do something good for yourself and eat vegetables during the break. Here, whatever you like is allowed. Cucumbers, courgettes, carrots, kohlrabi or peppers can be cut into bite-sized pieces, radishes and small tomatoes can also be snacked whole. You can make a delicious dip out of yoghurt, garlic, herbs and lemon to give it a bit of spice.
4. Delicious between meals – quinoa salad
It is best to prepare this salad at home and take it with you. Cook the quinoa as desired and allow it to cool. Dice tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese and add to the quinoa. Flavour with mint, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper and add some olive oil. If you like, you can also add a salad seed mixture.
5. Healthy snacks – mixed nuts
When it comes to nuts and almonds, you should not go overboard as they contain a lot of calories. However, they also contain valuable minerals and trace elements, fibre and above all unsaturated fatty acids, which the body needs but cannot produce by itself. The latter protect the cardiovascular system and can lower cholesterol levels. At the supermarket, there are bags with mixtures of different types of nuts that allow you to mix them in a balanced way. But you should not eat more than a handful a day!
6. Yoghurt with topping
Natural yoghurt is good for digestion and does not burden the digestive system on a long day behind the wheel. It’s less sweet than the ready mixed yoghurt with fruity flavours, but you can spice it up yourself. Cut in some fruit or stir in a spoonful of cracked flaxseed, which also aids digestion.
7. Homemade cereal bars
Cereal bars are great sources of energy, but most of them contain far too much sugar. If you make them yourself, you have control over the ingredients. And it’s quite simple. Chop up nuts and/or seeds and dried fruits in a ratio of 1:1, add as much flour and oat flakes and mix everything with a grated apple and some honey. Spread the mixture a good centimetre thick on a baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for about half an hour. Cut it into bars while still hot and allow to cool. Pack your cereal bars and store them in a cool place, then they will keep for up to two weeks.
8. Wholemeal sandwiches
Wholemeal sandwiches are healthy snacks that you can prepare and eat during short breaks. They increase the blood sugar level only gradually and keep it at a level where you don’t feel hungry for a long time. For example, you can fill them with cottage cheese, chicken breast and cucumber. This way you can enjoy a light bite between meals that will fill you up and contains easily digestible proteins.
9. Raw food recipes: carrot and apple salad
It is very easy to prepare and very tasty: Carrot and apple salad is a healthy snack full of vitamins. Grate a carrot and an apple, mix both with a little lemon juice and a few drops of vegetable oil and add a pinch of sugar. The snack refreshes you and fills the stomach without being too heavy.
10. Hearty winter snack – Chinese cabbage salad
When it gets cold and dark on the roads, the craving for heartier snacks increases. This is also possible with uncooked fruit and vegetables. Put a handful of raisins in some orange juice. Then cut Chinese cabbage into fine strips, add finely chopped carrots and apples and mix everything with a little lemon juice and a little vegetable oil. Put the raisins and the orange juice in the bowl and sweeten the salad with agave syrup or honey until it is to your liking.
Summary: Healthy snacks don’t require much effort
If you feel like preparing some healthy snacks before you leave home, you don’t have to be content with hot dogs, lukewarm pizza strips, boring sandwiches from the service area or chocolate bars. But even if you don’t feel like preparing these, you don’t have to do without healthy snacks. Fruit, vegetables and yoghurt can also be incorporated into everyday trucker life as a snack without any preparation. Find out in our other blogs what you should look out for to enjoy a healthy breakfast, what nutritional tips truckers should generally follow to combat being overweight and which fitness exercises help you to achieve this, which you can easily do in and at the truck!