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6 Tips to Make Sure You Eat Enough on Shift – NHS Meal Plan

Finding time to eat regularly on your shift is difficult enough, never mind trying to eat healthily.


You can get bombarded with emergency cases, urgent tasks and demanding superiors without warning, and before you know it, lunch has packed up its box and waved you goodbye.

Never fear. There are ways to avoid the pangs of hunger hitting at the wrong times.

1. Don’t skip breakfast

Make sure you eat breakfast before you start work so that you’ve got enough fuel to at least last you the morning. It’s easy to just start working, thinking that you’ll grab something later in the day. But as you all well know, later doesn’t always come. There are plenty of healthy breakfast recipes and snacks that are easy to make and will set you up for your day.

2. Smoothies on the go

Smoothies are a quick and healthy option that you can keep in the canteen fridge. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals, and they will fill you up for a few hours. They’re easy to make, and there’s a smoothie flavour to tingle every taste bud.

3. Go nuts

Nuts are packed with energy and are great to fill a temporary void. Just keep a packet in your pocket so you can grab a handful in between jobs to keep you going.

4. Say hello to your new best friend

The vending machine. Rumour has it, there’s an old NHS folk law that if you pass by a vending machine, then you have to feed it with shiny coins, and in return, you get a chocolate bar as a prize. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true, but it’s always worth grabbing something as you pass by.

5. Get some air

When you finally do get the chance to sit down and eat your lunch, take yourself away from everyone if you can. Eat your lunch in a different area, or get outside if the weather’s nice to clear your head before you get back to it.

6. Happy Birthday…pass me the cake?

Definitely our best tip – if it’s someone’s birthday, make the most of the cake that they have brought in. Don’t hold back; get stuck in and grab a few chunky slices. One for now, one for your locker to eat later. If there are sweets as well, go crazy and fill your pockets. You only live once, after all!

In all seriousness, a cake isn’t a healthy option, but making sure that you eat enough food throughout your day is very important so that you have enough fuel in your body to carry out the important job that you all do.

Do you have any more tips? Tell us in the comments below.

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