# What are your meals?



## ThatEMTGuy (Dec 16, 2014)

What meals do you guys prepare the night or day before your shift? I'm tired of eating out at fast food joints. What foods or recipes do you prepare? I'm look preferably for foods you can leave in your backpack or lunch box? thanks!


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## MedicRx (Dec 17, 2014)

Oh I love this thread, already... If I cook the night before, I try to do a pasta dish or maybe a chili (chicken corn chili has been my recent addiction) of some sort. They're filling, and you can make a lot at a time. I also frequently prepare salads the night before and mix them up when it's actually time to eat. I usually bake some chicken/fish/beef the night before to mix with it. This is assuming you have a cold pack to put in your lunch box, or a refrigerator...


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## Carlos Danger (Dec 17, 2014)

I make a big frittata (12 eggs, ham, peppers, onions, a little shredded cheese) on Sunday and cut it into slices....that and a piece of fruit is my breakfast all week.

Lunch is either pre-made salads that I pick up at the store, or sandwiches that I make at home. Fruit and cheese sticks for snacks. 

I carry it all in a small cooler with an ice pack.


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## BraydenNegron (Dec 18, 2014)

Depends on day, however, whatever the meal I will take, remain tasty and healthy


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## happylittleblue (Jan 13, 2015)

I try to make my guy a good hearty breakfast before he leaves for his shift. Some days I've done scrambled eggs with sausage while another day I did french toast. For lunch he usually takes a sandwich with some chips and fruit. Then for dinner I make either a chicken and rice type dish or pasta. Whether he gets calls or not I like giving him a carb at least with dinner so he's not absolutely starving throughout the night. If he gets peckish I try to give him healthy options like a cup of noodles rather than him getting a bag of chips or candy at the store. Seems to do well. Just gotta pre-plan things. 

I'm really hoping to do a lot more cooking this year. Yummier and even healthier meals! =)


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## Chimpie (Jan 14, 2015)

I've appreciated a well rounded meal more as I've gotten older. I was never taught how to cook/prepare a meal. Even into my thirties I was still pretty ignorant.

Having a well rounded meal, every meal, will do wonders for you. Plus, in the long run, you will save *so much* money preparing meals vs grabbing food at fast food restaurants.


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## redundantbassist (Jan 15, 2015)

Embarrassingly, I have the typical 19 y/o man's diet: Cold cereal w/ black coffee for breakfast, a red bull for lunch, and leftovers/ fast food for supper, with assorted junk food throughout the day. I'm definitely not a model healthy eater.


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## Gurby (Jan 15, 2015)

Soylent...


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## Rettsani (Mar 14, 2015)

For our short early or late Day shift I prepare a Bread with Cheese or Ham and Milk, for our long 11 hours Day shift I prepare a Bread, Yougurt,  Salad, fruits, milk shake Green tea and a bottle of water.  For Night shift I buy a Pasta dish with salad in a Restaurant near our Station and a bottle of water.


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## Brandon O (Mar 24, 2015)

Gurby said:


> Soylent...



Really?


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## Gurby (Mar 24, 2015)

Brandon O said:


> Really?



Yes sir.  Almost certainly better than what I would be eating otherwise...


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## Brandon O (Mar 24, 2015)

That's cool. Are you mixing it at work or bringing it in a thermos or something?


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## Gurby (Mar 24, 2015)

Brandon O said:


> That's cool. Are you mixing it at work or bringing it in a thermos or something?



I mix up two 24oz thermos bottles the night before, throw some ice cubes in, and put them in the fridge overnight.  They'll stay reasonable cold until ~10pm the following day.  I usually will buy a sub or something to eat during the day as well, but it's just so convenient to have ~1500 calories ready to go at any time.  Saves a ton of time and money (preparing real food might be cheaper but takes time, buying food saves time but costs more money...), and it's easy to "eat" at any time even if you're getting slammed with calls.  

I never had to take a lunch break during my hospital rotations (unless I wanted to), which was cool.


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## COmedic17 (Mar 25, 2015)

I just buy ingredients to make meals and cook at work. I even grill out sometimes.


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## Burritomedic1127 (Mar 26, 2015)

Big ole batch of rice beans and hot sauce go a long way


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## teedubbyaw (Mar 27, 2015)

ha ha

he said long sausage


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## medicaltransient (Mar 28, 2015)

Try raw vegan for a day or 2. I do a 48 hrs shift where I buy 4 half gallons of naked smoothie drinks and some raw almonds thats more than enough to last 2 days. Where I live the naked brand smoothies and the off brand are about 7$ for a half gallon which comes out about the same or cheeper than eating out. I keep it in a cooler with 2 ice packs. 
My energy and mental clarity is great on a raw vegan diet.


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## EMTinCT (Apr 15, 2015)

http://www.soylent.me/


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## TransportJockey (Apr 15, 2015)

I take a shaeology shake for each morning I'm on shift (powder, then stick it in the blender with milk) and I take some frozen chicken breasts and various sides for each day's dinner, with lunch being tuna and something or a sandwich. But then again I work flight and have a station to go to. 
When I was on the bus I always had a station and would bring usually some kind of pasta with a meat in it, and just reheat it when I wanted food (72 hour max shifts)

When I worked in Pecos and worked 168 hour shifts, myslef and my partner cooked a lot at the station, and brought very little prepared food. But then again there were few fast food restaurants there.


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## PotatoMedic (Apr 15, 2015)

Did you and future work out your differences about flight?


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## TransportJockey (Apr 15, 2015)

FireWA1 said:


> Did you and future work out your differences about flight?


For now. I think.  Im still working flight if tjat says anything lol


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## Flying (Apr 15, 2015)

This thread has me thinking about making something different:
Couscous with red lentil topped with chicken or beef garnished with lemon juice.

Good starch base and easily adjusted to be vegetarian friendly.

Maybe has room for a pepper sauce.


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## ghost02 (Apr 25, 2015)

Some great ideas here guys! I am going to try that soylent stuff. Also I completely forgot rice and beans existed.


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## Bruno (May 19, 2015)

Buy a cooler or insulated lunch bag. On nights b4 a shift I make chicken/turkey/beef (whatever was on sale and I'll actually eat) and mix the meat w Indian type stew in the boxes ($2 from TJs) or broccoli or basmati rice/olive oil. So that or whatever creation goes into a reusable plastic food container. I add 3 or 4 hard boiled eggs and 2 apples to the lunch bag.  Remember the fork.  If you must have your food hot, at Post, use a 7-11 microwave or something but then you'll end up feeling like you have to buy something.  If you do - buy a Quest bar or water. Both healthy (hi fiber/protein, low sugars).  If you are vegan/veg or have tendencies toward that like I do, go to Sprouts and buy their bulk walnuts /macadamias or whatever.  
I started doing this long ago and been losing lbs instead of gaining. Saves $ too.


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## Amelia (May 19, 2015)

I was wondering the same thing! I want to bring my own food so I dont OD on Burger King (yum). And I need recipe ideas. I"m assuming you keep salad dressing in a separate container so salad doesnt get mushy?


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## Tigger (May 19, 2015)

We have a nice kitchen at work. One of us cooks each shift, and you're expected to make a decent three course meal. As a youngish bachelor, it's done wonders for my cooking ability.

When I pick up SSM shifts in the city I just go to safeway and get a premade salad bowl. And coffee, because you know, appetite suppressors beat eating.


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## Amelia (May 19, 2015)

Tomorrow's my very first shift as a volunteer (I think I'm only allowed because I'm with my instructor and she vouched for me) and I'm bringing lamb stew in hopes that they're a microwave there.


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## Bruno (May 20, 2015)

Amelia said:


> I was wondering the same thing! I want to bring my own food so I dont OD on Burger King (yum). And I need recipe ideas. I"m assuming you keep salad dressing in a separate container so salad doesnt get mushy?


I gave up on taking salads - they get gross too fast. I just use an insulated bag w one of those ice gel packs that stay cold all day. Or at least till I decided to eat -


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## gonefishing (May 20, 2015)

What ever my wife packs me.  Usually a salad with a side of an orange, carrot sticks.  A fruit/veg smoothie.  Or a sandwitch something along those lines.  Left overs which I don't mind because my wifes an excellent cook.  When I take I definitely feel way better at work.  I've saved money and lost weight.


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## Tigger (May 20, 2015)

gonefishing said:


> What ever my wife packs me.  Usually a salad with a side of an orange, carrot sticks.  A fruit/veg smoothie.  Or a sandwitch something along those lines.  Left overs which I don't mind because my wifes an excellent cook.  *When I take I definitely feel way better at work.  I've saved money and lost weight.*



Quoted for troof. 

You can lose weight working if you just eat what you pack and don't succumb to snack runs.


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