Healthy Eating for Night Shift Workers

Working night shifts can be a great option for some but gueling work for others. Working the night shift requires the body to adapt to different circadian rhythms since the body must be awake and alert during the time that it is usually asleep. These circadian rhythms regulate the body’s metabolism and other key functions, so changes to them can affect your overall health.

Over time, working the night shift can lead to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and more. You might notice changes to your appetite, mood, sleep patterns, and digestion as you work the night shift. That’s why it’s important for night-shift workers to pay careful attention to their body and ensure that it’s getting the proper nutrients. Nutrition can actually help the body cope with the irregular schedule.

But what does that look like for night-shift workers? Here are tips for healthy eating while working the night shift.

Eat Your “Dinner” Before Your Shift

Instead of eating your dinner at the usual evening time, try to eat your main meal before you head off to work. Throughout the night, rely on healthy snacks to fill you up and keep you going. This can help you have enough energy to sustain you throughout your shift.

While working the night shift, you might be tempted to eat multiple large meals each day — one at home and then another at work. This pattern could lead to weight gain. But eating your main meal before you leave and taking snacks can help you avoid this pattern.

Have “Breakfast” When You Get Home

When you get home, have a light breakfast or a snack. This can help you sleep better since we all sleep better on a content stomach. Just make sure you don’t overeat when you get home because this could lead to weight gain or disrupt your sleeping schedule.

Pack Healthy Snacks

Since you’re not packing a main meal to take to work, it’s important that you pack healthy snacks that you can eat throughout your shift. These snacks include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein. These snacks can help you remain alert and focused while at work. For some delicious snack ideas, check out our post on healthy snacking.

By packing your own snacks, you will be less tempted to head to the vending machine for a candy bar or bag of chips. Most cafeterias and vending machines don’t offer healthy options, so having your own will be a life-saver!

Avoid Foods that Cause Heartburn

Foods that are spicy, fried, or high in fat can cause heartburn. Not only is heartburn uncomfortable, but these foods can actually make you feel sluggish and contribute to weight gain — especially if you’re eating these foods at night when your metabolism is already off.

Try Batch Cooking

When you wake up, one of the last things you might want to do is cook or prepare snacks. Make your day a bit easier by batch cooking, or preparing multiple servings at once. This feature is built right into EatLove so that you can easily scale up a dish and prepare for the rest of the week.

To batch cook any meal on our platform, follow these steps:

1. Click on the ellipsis icon on the meal card
2. Select Batch Cook from the pop-up menu
3. Choose how much of the recipe you’d like to make

Voila! Another quick tip: If you know you won’t be able to eat all of the prepared dish, try freeing some of it. Check out our post on freezing foods to learn what you can and can’t freeze.

With pre-made dishes and snacks ready to go, you can feel more prepared for your day and eliminate time you have to spend in the kitchen.

Invest in a Crock Pot or Instant Pot

Another thing you can do to cut down on meal preparation time is try a crock pot or Instant Pot meal. These meals are generally easy to prepare because you just throw in the ingredients and walk away. When you get home from your shift or wake up, you can enjoy a hot meal. Plus, these meals lend themselves to batch cooking.

EatLove has recipes designed specifically for these kitchen devices. And in your account settings, you can let us know that you have these devices and use them to cook regularly. Plus, you can always rely on our advanced recipe search function to find recipes for the crock pot or Instant Pot.

Remain Hydrated

Not only should you pay attention to what you’re eating at work, but you should drink enough water as well! Instead of reaching for cups of coffee or that energy drink, opt for water or other drinks that keep you hydrated without adding extra sugar and calories.

If you do choose caffeinated drinks, like tea or caffeinated water, try not to exceed 600mg of caffeine each day. Small amounts of caffeine can certainly help keep you alert and awake, but large amounts of caffeine could prevent you from getting good sleep when you get home and can ultimately lead to depression, cause you to be more irritable, or even upset your stomach.

Take Breaks

A lot of night-shift schedules can be demanding, but it’s important that you still take breaks. When you do have a few minutes to yourself, try doing something active, like going on a walk, performing some stretches, or walking up the stairs. This can help you boost your energy during your shift and sleep better after your shift.

Ultimately, you may need to try different strategies to find what’s best for you while you’re working the night shift. We hope that these tips help you to find a healthy eating pattern that works. Sign up for a free trial of EatLove today to help you get started with developing these healthy habits.