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September 2004 Magazine Article
Tipping The Scales
Most truck drivers believe “eating healthy” and exercising is next to impossible. Nothing could be further from the truth. Whether you cook for yourself or prefer to dine out, “eating right” is easier than you think. Here are some eating and exercise tips to get you started on the “right” track.
- NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST! Harvard researchers found that men who ate breakfast everyday were 44% less likely to be overweight.
- Increased metabolism promotes body fat burning. Keep the fire burning…eat often! Eat 5 to 6 smaller meals spaced about 2 hours apart. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating.
- Have a sandwich for lunch, but don't eat the bread. Make "roll-ups" of just the meat and cheese and dip it into mustard or ranch dressing. If you must have bread, make it “whole-grain” and open faced.
- Snack on fresh fruits and veggies. These foods breakdown slowly allowing a more gradual dose of sugar. Broccoli and cauliflower are great raw; dip them into ranch dressing. A handful of nuts (even peanuts) make a good snack.
- Top a side-salad with tuna or chicken breast. These are high in protein and low in fat and carbs.
- When ordering a salad, ask for salad dressings and other sauces “on the side”. This way, you have control over how much or how little you add. BYOSD, “bring your own salad dressing”, is even better.
- When eating out, look for items on the menu that is baked, grilled, dry-sautéed, broiled, poached, or steamed. When ordering grilled meats or vegetables, ask that the food either be grilled without butter or oil, or prepared "light," with little oil or butter.
- Opt for steamed vegetables as a side dish instead of potato, rice or pasta.
- It is believed that capsaicin (that stuff in hot peppers that makes them hot) speeds metabolism to help burn calories and the effect can last up to 5 hours. Use spicy salsa for dipping veggies or topping eggs and grilled meats.
- Can the soda! Eliminating just one can of soda per day will drop a pound of fat per month! How many cans do you drink? Drink ice water with some fresh squeezed lemon or limejuice.
- Think of bottled fruit juices and sweetened tea as soda. In the case of juice, yes, it may have some nutrients. However, your much better off getting your nutrients from a multivitamin and not sugar water!
- Don't confuse thirst with hunger. Drink a glass of water before eating. The water will help make you feel fuller when you do eat allowing you to eat less. Also, losing just 2% of your body's water can reduce energy levels by as much as 20%.
- How often have you looked at a "Nutrition Label" of a snack food and thought, "per serving, that's not so bad"? Fact is, once you start to eat you will probably eat a lot more than one serving. "That is so bad"! The label should also tell you how many servings are in the bag, box, or can…re-bag into individual servings. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings.
- Get Moving! It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. When waiting to load or unload, take a walk or do some sit-ups in your bunk. Carry dumbbells and use them.
- Park as far away from food (restaurant or convenience store) as possible. You will be less inclined to make frequent trips to eat and the exercise (walking) will do you some good.
- Forget the "fried foods"! Two fried chicken legs have twice the calories and fat as a grilled ¼ pound cheeseburger.
- Cook for yourself. Use as many fresh ingredients as possible when possible. Use a non-stick fry pan and non-stick “spray”.
- Eat slowly. It normally takes about 20 minutes to become full. It takes overeaters much longer to feel full when eating. If you eat slowly, not only will you enjoy what you eat…you also won't be able to eat as much before becoming full.
- Here are a couple of recipes that illustrate just how easy and tasty “Cooking In The Cab” can be:
Foiled Baked Potatoes
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 baking potatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion -- chopped
1/2 whole red and green bell peppers -- chopped
2 dashes garlic powder
2 dashes lemon pepper
aluminum foil
Scrub and chop baking potatoes into pieces, but do not peel. Prepare 2 square pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil, one piece per serving. Place equal portions of the ingredients on each foil square. Fold the foil sealing ends. Cook on high direct heat for about 55 minutes or until done.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 221/serving; 120 cal from fat; total fat = 13.7g; sat fat = 1.9; cholesterol = 0.0mg; sodium = 189.6mg; total carbs = 23.1g; dietary fiber = 2.6g; protein = 2.9g.
Foiled Fish on the Grill
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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12 ounces fish fillets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley -- chopped
1 teaspoon fresh dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 onion -- thinly sliced
Use heavy aluminum foil cut into large squares. Place equal portions of the fish fillets on each piece of foil. In a bowl, add oil, lemon juice, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Stir to blend well. Pour this mixture over the fish, sprinkle with paprika, and top with the onion slices which have been separated into rings. Fold the foil around the mixture sealing tightly. Leave a little space for the food to expand while cooking. Place on high direct heat for about 10-14 minutes. Fish should flake easily when done.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 279/serving; 134 cal from fat; total fat = 14.8g; sat fat = 2.1; cholesterol = 73.1mg; sodium = 1433.7mg; total carbs = 4.7g; dietary fiber = 1.2g; protein = 31.1g.
Some of the graphics on this page courtesy of Trucker’s News and eTrucker.
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