Aidey
Community Leader Emeritus
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Whether or not granola bars are healthy or not depends on your definition of healthy. Most have way too much sugar and fake crap in them and not enough protein or fat.
How to eat right on duty?
- Thread starter SoCal911
- Start date
+1 to that.
Carbs are broken down into sugar rapidly, which makes granola bars excellent for strenuous activity in excess of one hour, but in any other situation, all that they do (along with other high carb foods) is spike your blood sugar, and then when it crashes a little while later, you feel hungry again. A better option is something with a little fat (but not trans fat) and protein because those macro nutrients are much slower to digest, and leave you feeling full for longer. Fiber also slows digestion. Examples include the previously mentioned almonds and other nuts.
There's a difference between how much food you need to feel full, and how many calories your body needs. You have to consume a certain volume in order for the stretch receptors of your stomach to indicate that you've eaten enough, but the typical American food has many more calories per volume than is naturally present. Adding vegetables to stuff increases the volume of food, but doesn't significantly increase the caloric content because vegetables are mostly water. By doing that, you feel full, and get less calories. Fruit can also be a good choice, although is typically more expensive.
I would recommend taking a health and nutrition class at your local community college. The ones I have taken have been absolutely life-changing for me. The homework is very little, and there wasn't even a textbook in either of my classes. Just go in with a desire to know more, and ask questions. I noticed that this is the difference between students who enjoy class, and students who hate school.
Sorry for the length of my lecture. I like to talk about this kind of stuff.
Uclabruin103
Forum Lieutenant
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Being in Los Angeles you can find a Trader Joe's almost anywhere. They have been the best for me as far as good quality cheaper food. They also have an assortment of prepared and frozen foods that are delicious. One of my favorite cheap meals:
One package ground turkey
One can corn
One can black beans
One container freah salsa (not a jar the fresh ones)
One package taco seasoning
Brown turkey, add either 1/4 cup water or broth and add taco seasoning. Add everything else and simmer to desired thickness.
Can eat it like a chili or bring some tortillas.
This was my go-to 24 meal early on. This and some fruit and veggies and I was set.
Snacks I love:
Blue diamond dark chocolate oven roasted almonds
Bag of brocoli with some humus or TJ's dill yogurt dip
One package ground turkey
One can corn
One can black beans
One container freah salsa (not a jar the fresh ones)
One package taco seasoning
Brown turkey, add either 1/4 cup water or broth and add taco seasoning. Add everything else and simmer to desired thickness.
Can eat it like a chili or bring some tortillas.
This was my go-to 24 meal early on. This and some fruit and veggies and I was set.
Snacks I love:
Blue diamond dark chocolate oven roasted almonds
Bag of brocoli with some humus or TJ's dill yogurt dip
Bring your own lunch, and snacks. Trader joes is awesome. Spend about 25 bucks there on almonds walnuts and peanuts and make a huge bag of trail mix, and they always have cliff bars on sale for 99 cents. It sounds expensive but its cheaper then buying a 7 dollar meal at subway everyday.
ltjohnson1979
Forum Ride Along
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Eating healthy is easy
If you want some ideas on eating healthy, on a budget, get some lettuce and sandwich meat and make a lettuce wrap with some cheese in it. Also the other thing you can do is work on getting a food dehydrator and dehydrate some fruit along with some veggies. All this will help you eat healthier and save some money in the long run it make take a little bit but you will save money and also you will be eating healthier.
If you want some ideas on eating healthy, on a budget, get some lettuce and sandwich meat and make a lettuce wrap with some cheese in it. Also the other thing you can do is work on getting a food dehydrator and dehydrate some fruit along with some veggies. All this will help you eat healthier and save some money in the long run it make take a little bit but you will save money and also you will be eating healthier.
eprex
Forum Lieutenant
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Depending on where you live, bringing food from home is the only way to really eat healthily. It can be expensive but it's most likely cheaper than eating out. I see people dropping $10 or more on a meal every day.
There are lots of healthy things you can cook in bulk like grilled chicken, turkey, fish, chili, beans, and vegetables. Canned tuna should be your new friend because it's relatively cheap and excellent for you. Don't worry about having a couple of cans a week in terms of mercury. Oatmeal for breakfast, protein shakes (with natural whey not that garbage you buy with additives and sweeteners). Lots of water and basically anything that isn't calorically-dense.
Things like mixed nuts (especially cashews, walnuts, almonds), dark chocolate, and fruit make great snacks as well.
It's a lot more work to eat healthily but you have to understand that it's an investment. Most people will say "I knew a guy who ran marathons and dropped dead at 30" but guess what? For every one of "those guys" there's millions of obese people and people with hypertension. Nature and nurture work together so why treat your body like crap?
There are lots of healthy things you can cook in bulk like grilled chicken, turkey, fish, chili, beans, and vegetables. Canned tuna should be your new friend because it's relatively cheap and excellent for you. Don't worry about having a couple of cans a week in terms of mercury. Oatmeal for breakfast, protein shakes (with natural whey not that garbage you buy with additives and sweeteners). Lots of water and basically anything that isn't calorically-dense.
Things like mixed nuts (especially cashews, walnuts, almonds), dark chocolate, and fruit make great snacks as well.
It's a lot more work to eat healthily but you have to understand that it's an investment. Most people will say "I knew a guy who ran marathons and dropped dead at 30" but guess what? For every one of "those guys" there's millions of obese people and people with hypertension. Nature and nurture work together so why treat your body like crap?
eprex
Forum Lieutenant
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A lot of those are garbage though. A lot of their calories come from maltodextrin. I'm not totally opposed to muscle milk but it's not cheap and it still has artificial sweeteners. You can make your own form of muscle milk and it'll probably be cheaper.
rujero
Emergency Services RN, NREMT
- 47
- 20
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I am a big fan of several inexpensive healthy foods. This is pretty much all I eat and I have lost 35 lbs in 4 months without the gym. My energy levels have been higher too.
Drinks
1. Water (with lemon)
2. Tea (green or black)
3. V8 or generic equivalent (low Sodium version)
Foods
1. Tuna (in water, strained)
2. Brown rice
3. Hard boiled eggs (no yolks)
4. Raw vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli)
5. Raw fruit (apples, pears, plums, bananas)
6. Roasted almonds
7. Make your own salad
Now if you add sugar to your tea, mayo to your tuna, butter to your rice, salt to your eggs, peanut butter to your celery ect then these foods become less healthy, but all of them are relatively cheap. They have good shelf life in the fridge and cover most of your dietary needs. I also take a multi vitamin and calcium supplement every day to get what I may be missing. If you eat small servings of this stuff continuously throughout your shift instead of a couple large meals your metabolism will constantly be going and you will get to a healthy weight and stable level of nutrition. It can really make a difference in your energy level, your skin, your sleep quality and other things people usually don't associate with diet.
-r
Drinks
1. Water (with lemon)
2. Tea (green or black)
3. V8 or generic equivalent (low Sodium version)
Foods
1. Tuna (in water, strained)
2. Brown rice
3. Hard boiled eggs (no yolks)
4. Raw vegetables (celery, carrots, broccoli)
5. Raw fruit (apples, pears, plums, bananas)
6. Roasted almonds
7. Make your own salad
Now if you add sugar to your tea, mayo to your tuna, butter to your rice, salt to your eggs, peanut butter to your celery ect then these foods become less healthy, but all of them are relatively cheap. They have good shelf life in the fridge and cover most of your dietary needs. I also take a multi vitamin and calcium supplement every day to get what I may be missing. If you eat small servings of this stuff continuously throughout your shift instead of a couple large meals your metabolism will constantly be going and you will get to a healthy weight and stable level of nutrition. It can really make a difference in your energy level, your skin, your sleep quality and other things people usually don't associate with diet.
-r
Brandon275
Forum Probie
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Pretty much what everyone said is what i would suggest as far as bringing your lunch and dinner ETC from home. Make sure you pack enough snacks such as nutri-grain bars, maybe some string cheese, wheat thins ETC. Also don't buy sodas and try to avoid the midnight runs to McDonalds if your busy in the middle of the night and you get hungry. I got in a bad habit of eating unhealthy when i started in EMS 6 years ago.
I went from 170lbs to 195 lbs in a year or two after being in the business. two summers ago I went on a serious diet and I now weigh 163lbs and I almost never buy lunch or dinner unless I must and even then it is subway or a salad of some kind.
I went from 170lbs to 195 lbs in a year or two after being in the business. two summers ago I went on a serious diet and I now weigh 163lbs and I almost never buy lunch or dinner unless I must and even then it is subway or a salad of some kind.
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Not like this...
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Haha! Looks tasty, you're going to have to go on an extra long bike ride later lol. We arrived to work today to find two one gallon bags stuffed with candy inside that said "For the 'kids'
". Needless to say, we will have candy in our truck for the next 2 months haha
- 5,018
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Haha! Looks tasty, you're going to have to go on an extra long bike ride later lol. We arrived to work today to find two one gallon bags stuffed with candy inside that said "For the 'kids'
Haha already planning on two runs today! I hate when people bring over all that stuff; I have to try and eat all of it :sad:
Socal EMT
Forum Ride Along
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Clif bars are the BEST for energy!
NYMedic828
Forum Deputy Chief
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Almost every "bar" you buy is loaded with garbage you shouldn't be eating or full of carbs.
TheLocalMedic
Grumpy Badger
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I heard a funny story from a friend... Some guy apparently went around to a bunch of the fire stations in Oakland giving the crews watermelons because he thought they would be a healthy and hydrating snack for the hot summer day. All was going well until one of the crews thought he was being racist (the crew was all black) and sent him packing. Sigh... even the best intentions...
PotatoMedic
Has no idea what I'm doing.
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Anyone have good breakfast recipes? I dont get off till 9 and would like to eat breakfast. Hard boiled eggs are good... but I think eating them 3 times a week will get old.