Nutrition and 911 services

[mct601]

If you're like me, you LOVE things like Popeye's, Red Burrito, Taco Bell, fast food breakfasts, etc etc etc- but those can hardly be considered FOOD. In my opinion FOOD = nutrient dense, minimally processed (if not whole or organic). Living the life of an EMT, LEO, or FF (from my experience FF's have it a little better than the other two) means running calls, sitting posted on a street corner when you're NOT running calls on that 12 hour shift, managing your bathroom breaks, and eating what you can when you can. If you work the 24 hour shift life like me, you're still eating what you can when you can (options are more open), managing sleep, and having to be ready to receive a call at any moment and be en route to that call in under a minute. And you're doing this 5-7+ days per 14 day pay period.

All that being said, what do you guys do to maintain proper nutrition? If you do at all lol. Obviously we need low carb, protein dense foods with of course low fats, due to the lifestyle of our occupation. Where do you eat/what do you order? What foods do you pack? If you work at a station, what are some quickly prepared meals that don't tax your cardiovascular system?

 

[Jack]

I dont do emergency services, but I still figured you would like this. I make tuna fish, with bruchetta(sp?), and eat it in a salad with no dressing. All you have to do is keep it somewhat cool, and sealed, and it will last a lot longer than your 24 hour shift. Since you have it on hand, you can eat it whenever youre ready, and close it up when you get a call. Also, ziplock makes tupperware containers, with screw on tops, they will save you a load of trouble.

 

[BobKaro]

In the Lafayette area, we've got three hospitals that give us free meals. Food's actually pretty good at one of them. The other two can't be beat for the price.

 

[JWG223]

If you're like me, you LOVE things like Popeye's, Red Burrito, Taco Bell, fast food breakfasts, etc etc etc- but those can hardly be considered FOOD. In my opinion FOOD = nutrient dense, minimally processed (if not whole or organic). Living the life of an EMT, LEO, or FF (from my experience FF's have it a little better than the other two) means running calls, sitting posted on a street corner when you're NOT running calls on that 12 hour shift, managing your bathroom breaks, and eating what you can when you can. If you work the 24 hour shift life like me, you're still eating what you can when you can (options are more open), managing sleep, and having to be ready to receive a call at any moment and be en route to that call in under a minute. And you're doing this 5-7+ days per 14 day pay period.

All that being said, what do you guys do to maintain proper nutrition? If you do at all lol. Obviously we need low carb, protein dense foods with of course low fats, due to the lifestyle of our occupation. Where do you eat/what do you order? What foods do you pack? If you work at a station, what are some quickly prepared meals that don't tax your cardiovascular system?

I work night shift, 12 hour shifts 84 hours every 2 weeks. I maintain my nutrition by fixing my own food before work. I don't want to end up like so many other nurses at my hospital, barely able to waddle from the car to the door. All you ever see them doing is ordering crap from pizza places or wingzone or whatever else. That's why the people they are taking care of got there in the first place. I have no clue why they persist. I also spend 45m-1 hour in the gym 5-6 days a week. Even after a 12 hour shift. You've got to do it if you want to maintain. People just like being lazy and they need to break that habit and form a new one, or pay the piper in the end.

*IF I don't have time to prep food, I grab a Healthy Choice Organic TV dinner or two. They aren't the best for you, but better than that fried crap people eat.

 

[deafdave3]

Subway?

 

[JWG223]

Subway?

Subway is good stuff, but it has a TON of carbs. If you are active (bicycle cop or something), that's not the end of the world, but if you are mostly sedentary, it's a bad idea. I tried it for a week or two at work and noticed that I looked a bit softer for it. I stopped.

 

[dwr461]

I bring my lunch because it's not uncommon for us to be unable to even get into a fast food joint for lunch until 1500 or 1600.

Dave

 

[Masonmedic]

I used to bring a small igloo cooler.Tuna and crackers or chicken salad and crackers is my main staple.Usually a bag of fruit(grapes usually),beef jerkey and fake crab meat sticks.I also like those packs of individual sandwhich meats from walmart for like .50 a pack.Use to bring a few of those and eat strait out of the bag....the turkey and honey ham are good.Cant go wrong with PB and J on wheat.All pretty cheap,quick and fairly healthy.

 

[mct601]

I dont do emergency services, but I still figured you would like this. I make tuna fish, with bruchetta(sp?), and eat it in a salad with no dressing. All you have to do is keep it somewhat cool, and sealed, and it will last a lot longer than your 24 hour shift. Since you have it on hand, you can eat it whenever youre ready, and close it up when you get a call. Also, ziplock makes tupperware containers, with screw on tops, they will save you a load of trouble.

bruschetta, that tomato stuff? I'll have to try that. I have actually used natural salsa on grilled chicken salad and it wasn't all that bad. gotta be in the mood for vegetables though.

I work night shift, 12 hour shifts 84 hours every 2 weeks. I maintain my nutrition by fixing my own food before work. I don't want to end up like so many other nurses at my hospital, barely able to waddle from the car to the door. All you ever see them doing is ordering crap from pizza places or wingzone or whatever else. That's why the people they are taking care of got there in the first place. I have no clue why they persist. I also spend 45m-1 hour in the gym 5-6 days a week. Even after a 12 hour shift. You've got to do it if you want to maintain. People just like being lazy and they need to break that habit and form a new one, or pay the piper in the end.

*IF I don't have time to prep food, I grab a Healthy Choice Organic TV dinner or two. They aren't the best for you, but better than that fried crap people eat.

someone who feels my pain. the gym is hard to fit in and have the energy for now that school is back, but I still try to at least get something in.

I bring the healthy choice steamers with me. $2.50 from walmart and like you said, its better than the processed deep fried fast food typically eaten. quick too, which I need on busy days.

I used to bring a small igloo cooler.Tuna and crackers or chicken salad and crackers is my main staple.Usually a bag of fruit(grapes usually),beef jerkey and fake crab meat sticks.I also like those packs of individual sandwhich meats from walmart for like .50 a pack.Use to bring a few of those and eat strait out of the bag....the turkey and honey ham are good.Cant go wrong with PB and J on wheat.All pretty cheap,quick and fairly healthy.

Yea, the problem with stuff like that is my appetite can't be supported off little things lol. I'm known around the company to eat, and the issue is compounded when Ive been hitting the gym regularly. I try to bring Clif and Zone bars for snacks, and some fruits. Beef jerky is just too dang expensive considering how much of it I can eat. I do pack PB/honey on wheat though, always a cheap and good idea.

Here's some of the stuff I do around the station. meats are generally cooked on a george foreman for ease of use and given the lifestyle.

Oatmeal and honey, usually with a side of a fruit
Egg on wheat sandwich
natural PB and honey on wheat
healthy choice steamers
grilled chicken breast (the organic kind from walmart, as organic as it can be) with a side of prepackaged steamed vegetables (cooked in microwavable bag)
grilled chicken salad with italian
ground turkey meat on wheat, usually with Smart Balance as mayo substitute or salsa. occasionally thin slice of pepperjack cheese
Snacks - Zone and Clif bars, protein. Occasionally I'll eat a Clif Energy or Mojo because they taste the best, but a ton of carbs. I bring a shaker with protein powder as well. these help kick the sugar cravings late in the day. fruits like apples, oranges, or bananas.

all of this is fairly cheap and quick. as far as hospital or 12 hour shift work, I haven't done it since my AMR days and back then I usually just packed what I listed aboved, ate what BP gave me (****), or tried to eat as healthy as possible at the fast food joints. I try to make sure my intake is high in protein and fiber.

 

[Trey@IG]

you can make your own jerky my man. buying a dehydrator is a great investment if you eat a ton of it like i do....

 

[Jack]

bruschetta, that tomato stuff? I'll have to try that. I have actually used natural salsa on grilled chicken salad and it wasn't all that bad. gotta be in the mood for vegetables though.

Exactly, tomato, basil and olive oil. I really prefer it over mayonnaise, in that it has great seasoning already in it, and the tomatoes give a little texture, as opposed to normal tuna fish just kinda being a mass of mush.

Also, I think processed peanut butter is better for you, than natural peanut butter. This is just off memory, but I think the processed has less peanut oil in it.

 

[Masonmedic]

Yep....a dehydrater is a GREAT investment!The South Beach bars taste pretty good too,low carb high protein.

 

[Cat]

If you're like me, you LOVE things like Popeye's, Red Burrito, Taco Bell, fast food breakfasts, etc etc etc- but those can hardly be considered FOOD. In my opinion FOOD = nutrient dense, minimally processed (if not whole or organic). Living the life of an EMT, LEO, or FF (from my experience FF's have it a little better than the other two) means running calls, sitting posted on a street corner when you're NOT running calls on that 12 hour shift, managing your bathroom breaks, and eating what you can when you can. If you work the 24 hour shift life like me, you're still eating what you can when you can (options are more open), managing sleep, and having to be ready to receive a call at any moment and be en route to that call in under a minute. And you're doing this 5-7+ days per 14 day pay period.

All that being said, what do you guys do to maintain proper nutrition? If you do at all lol. Obviously we need low carb, protein dense foods with of course low fats, due to the lifestyle of our occupation. Where do you eat/what do you order? What foods do you pack? If you work at a station, what are some quickly prepared meals that don't tax your cardiovascular system?

Moms on the go who love to snack have the same problem. Find a small cooler and toss semi-nonperisable items in it. If you like raw veggies, a couple ziploc bags of your favorites would work. It's something you can sling back into the cooler and swallow the current bite, and haul ass without making a mess.

A granola muffin. Hardboiled eggs. Prepackaged cheese sticks. Things that a cooler would keep from spoiling but doesn't necessarily need to kept at a refrigerated temperature either. (I'd slice the eggs and remove the yolk before you leave the house btw)

There are a set of books "Eat This, Not That" you may find beneficial. Clearly fast food is never the wisest choice but when you're in a crunch, you can make healthy decisions at the drive up. These books help you decide what's good for you without the fat adding up day in, day out.