I’m too busy to eat! I don’t have time for a break! I’ll just eat a doughnut or cookie bed 8’s family gave us for taking care of their mother. Sound familiar? I know things get busy, but even then the one thing that we can control as nurses is what we eat. Breaks aren’t always an option and that is, even more, reason how important it is to pack healthy snacks for work. Quick, easy, and healthy snacks that you know you have if you are in a pinch and don’t have time for a traditional break. After working nights for 20 years, I definitely learned that the quick, easy, and healthy snacks are the way to go. Check out the video below and I will share my Top 5 Healthy and Easy Night Shift Snack Ideas for Nurses.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iomRtpMvBp4?rel=0]

Thanks for checking out the video and I hope you got some good ideas for snacks that you can pack the next time you work the night shift. Try it out and try to notice how much better you feel after giving your body what it really needs rather than just trying to curb your hunger. Here are my Top 5 Healthy and Easy Night Shift Snack Ideas for Nurses one more time.

1. Greek yogurt and Fresh Organic Fruit

• Remember to watch the sugar content by reading the labels

• I recommend the brands Icelandic, Fage, or Chobani for their ingredients and sugar content.

     2.  Hard boiled or steamed eggs

• Easy to prepare and to pack in your lunch

• Contain good fats-mono and polyunsaturated  which help stabilize your bad cholesterol and regulate your insulin

      3.  Nuts

• They all have their own benefits and vary in protein, nutrients, and healthy fats

• Shown to reduce the risk of MI and decrease bad cholesterol

     4.  Vegetables and Hummus

• Veggies taste good, are good for you, and easy to prepare and pack

• Hummus is easily made at home from chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, and tahini

• Hummus is a great dip alternative rather than traditional ranch, blue cheese, or melted cheese.

      5.  Snack Bars (Be Careful Here)

• Read the labels and be aware of artificial ingredients, added sugar, and high calories.

• Try to buy bars with less than 8 grams of sugar. (natural sugars like brown rice syrup, honey, maple syrup, and tapioca syrup still count)

• I like Kind bars and Rx bars.