If you are not a truck driver, you probably take the idea of “lunch” for granted. You can meal prep, eat healthily, or anywhere in between. The possibilities are endless. For the trucker, things can be a bit more complicated, but they are doable.
With technological advancements in how food can be stored and prepared in a truck, truck drivers have many possibilities open to them for lunch. From meal prepping to eating healthy just like the 9-5’ers, you, too, have options on how you take your mid-day meal. Here are the best four lunch ideas for truckers.
The Best Cold Lunch Idea for Truckers: Hit the Deli
The one word that is synonymous with “cold lunch” is sandwich. And let’s add wraps in the mix for some variety.
There are multiple possibilities in terms of flavors, add-ons, values in terms of healthiness, and they are incredibly time-friendly for the truckers on the go. If you have a fridge in your cab, making a sandwich is as simple as pulling the truck over, throwing it together, and going to town with your favorite cold lunch.
It is super easy for the busy trucker to make one of these lunch favs while driving over the road, and because you were probably able to purchase all of these goodies prior to leaving on your trip, you won’t break the bank either.
Just remember, if you make them ahead of time, you might not want to add on items that will make the food soggy until you’re ready for chow time.
The Best Hot Lunch Idea for Truckers: “Stir-Fry”
Do you have a microwave in your truck? Do you have room for a few canned goods? Then a quick and easy “stir-fry” is an excellent lunch idea for a busy trucker. All you need for this healthy, tasty meal is a few key ingredients and about five minutes, and you’ll be eating like royalty. The things you need to make this happen are:
- 60-second cook-in-the-bag rice
- A bag of mixed veggies and water chestnuts
- A can of chicken
- Some stir-fry sauce
Cook the rice, and while that’s going, toss everything else in a microwave-safe dish, then combine with the rice, and you are eating Asian cuisine right from your truck.
Again, because all of these items are very affordable, if you buy them at the grocery store before you leave for your trip, this lunch (and possibly enough for dinner) can be whipped up for less than $5.
The Best Easy Lunch Idea for Truckers: Salad
Much like your lunch of a sandwich or wrap, the possibilities of what you can put into your salad are endless, and the odds are, you will end up with a super easy, healthy meal in moments because you can keep all of these ingredients on hand in your truck’s fridge.
Because you undoubtedly don’t want to spend tons of time prepping a salad, you can purchase everything you could want or need for this meal pre-cut and ready to go in your local grocery store. Bags of lettuce, cheese, bacon bits, canned chicken, even pre-cut onions and tomatoes can easily be added to your delicious salad.
Toss everything into a bowl and add in some dressing, and you have a super easy mean in minutes. Affordability comes into play here, as well, as you can have a salad for a meal, or, provided you don’t dress the entire thing or add in the soggy stuff, two for under $5.
The Best Meal Prep Lunch Idea for Truckers: Meal Replacement Smoothies
Meal prepping is all the rage, and for a good reason. By making sure that everything can be “fixed” before taking your leave, you will have to do minimal work to complete a meal. You’ll have the ability to toss everything together, do one or two additional steps, and then your meal is ready to go.
For these smoothies, you should put everything you plan on including in the smoothie in a baggie as you’re meal prepping. All you will have to do when you are ready for your lunch is toss the contents of the baggie into the blender, add some milk and ice, blend, pour, and drink.
A smoothie for less than $5 is entirely doable depending on the type of fruit you decide you use. You can even use canned fruit to save another buck or two.
Meal Times Are Changing
In the not-so-distant past, truckers were limited to expensive, unhealthy meals from truck stops or fast food places.
Today, due to the technology allowing for things like refrigerators and microwaves in the truck, drivers are now more apt to fix food purchased from the grocery store, save money, and eat healthier because they are no longer relegated to truck stops for their dining options.
There are many easy options from cold deli food to meal prepped smoothies to hot food like stir-fry that make life on the road just a bit easier for America’s real unsung heroes.
