Do Most Truck Stop Restaurants Offer Healthy Meal Choices These Days?

I cook my own meals. I have a dometic personal size freezer (can also be used as a fridge), an aroma cooker which can be used as a rice cooker/crock pot/pressure cooker and a portable (tackle box size) propane grill which I store in a sidebox. I have a small folding aluminum table stashed behind the driver's seat to put my grill on outside the truck. Cleanup on the Aroma is simple as I use the large crock pot liners. I cut them in half so get 2 out of every one.

I stock chicken breast, pork tenderloin, shrimp, salmon, tilapia ,frozen veggies, frozen veggies, marinated the tuna in pouches, fruit cups, crackers, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, cheeses, rice, dry pasta, fresh ginger and garlic along with other assorted dry spices, olive oil, cans of Rotel and a few tiny cans of veggies, and canned milk (for cooking).

I enjoy cooking so for me that's a plus. Sometimes on home time, I'll mix up some mini meatloaves and freeze those (raw ) to pop those into my Aroma on crockpot mode.

I cook my own meals. I have a dometic personal size freezer (can also be used as a fridge), an aroma cooker which can be used as a rice cooker/crock pot/pressure cooker and a portable (tackle box size) propane grill which I store in a sidebox. I have a small folding aluminum table stashed behind the driver's seat to put my grill on outside the truck. Cleanup on the Aroma is simple as I use the large crock pot liners. I cut them in half so get 2 out of every one.

I stock chicken breast, pork tenderloin, shrimp, salmon, tilapia ,frozen veggies, frozen veggies, marinated the tuna in pouches, fruit cups, crackers, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, cheeses, rice, dry pasta, fresh ginger and garlic along with other assorted dry spices, olive oil, cans of Rotel and a few tiny cans of veggies, and canned milk (for cooking).

I enjoy cooking so for me that's a plus. Sometimes on home time, I'll mix up some mini meatloaves and freeze those (raw ) to pop those into my Aroma on crockpot mode.

I cannot live out of a crockpot. I don't OPERATE that way.

Like I originally said before, I may have to do the OTR "hardship tour" for about a year then work my way toward a more-hometime position later on. Preferably LOCAL. As I said before also, the mixed activities (loading/unloading/backing) of LOCAL driving is more conducive to better health and averting long-haul boredom.

It sounds like Lean Cuisine in ice chests might be the most doable option while doing the initial stint of OTR driving. If something sensible can be had off any menu along my route that could be done also. I hate McDonald's and Subway. I would be happy if Jimmy Johns were along my routes, though. Perhaps, a local Jimmy Johns in town can deliver a sandwich right to my truck if there is not one right there at the truck stop. I also like restaurants where a waitress comes to my table. Of course, I can always pack a cooler with fresh sandwich ingredients.

I don't want to drive trucks so badly that it is:

-conducive to an early death -conducive to poor health

not even for 1 million dollars a year

My HEALTH is my WEALTH, period.

Oscar, your posts remind me of some recent folks who've been in here. Everything they posted were researching into the reasons why they did not want to be a truck driver. You've now gone from your distaste for the modern shapes of our trucks to the excessive proportion of fats in our foods. And you even went so far as to worrying about the way our foot pedals are shaped in our trucks. You seem to be either happily unemployed, or just amusing yourself by trolling trucking forums.

Which one is it?

I am serious about considering this job. I am not here to troll but to acquire valuable knowledge.

Forget about the design of gas pedals and such. That was another thread anyway. The purpose there was to make general conversation.

I am the type of man who likes to plan things cautiously and carefully.

Is truck driving even for a health-conscience CAUTIOUS man?

I don't know how to do it yet so that's what I figure this forum is for to ask questions.

I won't HAVE time for crock pots and such out on the highway.

I don't want to be preparing a bunch of meals myself on the road as I feel I must CONSERVE time.

I need as much personal time devoted to physical fitness workouts as possible.

How to back up a truck or shift gears is the least of my worries.

For every 24 hour period I spend out on the road, how many hours of PERSONAL time will I have?

Personal time to eat, shower, sleep, shave, sh_t, get dressed, exercise, check emails and so forth.

Jeez, you Americans are so blessed. We have our own list of things we like and don't like and things we simply won't eat or drink meanwhile my relatives in Ukraine would fall on their knees to beg for raw potatoes.

It'll be difficult to eat like a kind every day especially if you're not the one cooking it. However, if you do eat as you like then you probably won't be bringing any money home because you'll be spending your entire paycheck on food.

No, my per diem should pretty much cover eating three hot squares, or one cold square for lunch, out daily even at places with healthy menu choices.

To cook the things I normally eat at home, I need a chest freezer, a full-size refrigerator, a blender, a toaster, a large microwave, Tupperware, a cheese grater, a gas or electric range stove and oven and a Weber gas grille. Not the normal food-service facilities the OTR driver will normally have access to all across the fruited plain. As well as a sink with running hot water, an automatic dishwasher, cupboards, spice racks: I mean a full-on household kitchen. Is their any reason under the sun that restaurants normally frequented by the OTR drivers cannot offer sensible menu choices? Can they not spray the skillet with PAM if the customer asks for it instead of drowning hash browns in oil? Can they not stock LEAN ham and LEAN ground beef? Why do these industries poison drivers with fat, sugar, calories and cholesterol? I wish the federal government would mandate that all truck stop restaurants offer healthy meal choices. Can this fat-slob image of big-rig drivers that the American food industry perpetuates ever end?

Of course, fresh fruit like grapefruit halves can be easily packed along inside the rig. I am sure the rig will have provisions for milk in the fridge. I have a bunch of Coleman coolers too.

If you are willing to be creative you can easily cook for yourself. Here is a list of items that may/may not be beneficial to you.

12v - Thermoelectric Cooler (Coleman), coffee pot (for making hot water at the least), crockpot, electric skillet, rice cooker, lunchbox oven (nice because cleanup is easy with aluminum inserts)

(Do note that in my opinion most 12v appliances you find in truck stops are cheaply made and do not last long)

120v (obviously need an inverter) - SMALL microwave, dorm Frig (I wouldn't dare go any bigger), crockpot, coffee pot, rice cooker, small electric skillet, small blender/juicer (think Ninja).

120v items are cheaper than 12v versions. About 1/4 the price for similar size. However they are not made for the jarring and bouncing. The size of the inverter needed will depend on how many 120v items you have and how powerful each is.

It may be a good idea to mix/match 120v and 12v to achieve your desired results.

Like: 12V thermoelectric cooler, small microwave, 12v electric skillet, 12v rice cooker, 120v crockpot, 120v small bullet style blender/juicer.

No, I am NOT willing to do much food prep at all out on the road except maybe slap a sandwich together from makings out of an ice chest. Or toss something frozen into the mic.

The challenge is to acquire convenient time-saving foods that are also sensible.

I fear I will have so little TIME to even take a shower.

I must both conserve my health AND time.

Here's a hint about food choices​ people make:

Bowing to public pressure, McDonalds has offered salads for years. According to Hoffington Post, salads only make up 2-3% of sales. I guess "eating healthy" is up to the customer, yaknow?

I cannot live on salads alone. I want hot healthy square meals.

I want a good selection based upon what is within the reach of any truck driver over a prescribed route.

I hate McDonalds, period. Not an option for me.

It sounds like:

-sandwich stuff in the cooler or truck's refrigerator -microwavable Lean Cuisine -throw away paper plates, napkins, and plastic silverware -fresh milk -fresh fruits -bottled water -fruit juice -Subway maybe sometimes -Jimmy Johns if there is one handy -truck stop diner meals if sensible selections can even be had off the menu

I guess after one or two months solo, I could get this food thing figured out down to a SCIENCE.

Per diem should cover all my food costs whatever I decide to do.

Oscar, your posts remind me of some recent folks who've been in here. Everything they posted were researching into the reasons why they did not want to be a truck driver. You've now gone from your distaste for the modern shapes of our trucks to the excessive proportion of fats in our foods. And you even went so far as to worrying about the way our foot pedals are shaped in our trucks. You seem to be either happily unemployed, or just amusing yourself by trolling trucking forums.

Which one is it?

Sometimes I think you're a mind reader. I was thinking that on his first post - which is why I haven't responded to any of them.

Brett could probably check IP's to see if he's one of our recently "dearly departed".

Not the typical questions we see from our typical "curious newbie", but detailed, almost nit-picking ones.

Fuel Pedal on a Peterbilt?

Reveal yourself demon!

Rick

For security reasons, I don't dare reveal my true identity over the Web. I don't know anybody here personally.

But we don't need attacks like DEMON. I am not a bad man, just a cautious one.

The fact is I don't know if I want to be a truck driver yet. I am a try-before-you-buy type man.

I am also a get-off-my-lawn type of man.

Oscar, your posts remind me of some recent folks who've been in here. Everything they posted were researching into the reasons why they did not want to be a truck driver. You've now gone from your distaste for the modern shapes of our trucks to the excessive proportion of fats in our foods. And you even went so far as to worrying about the way our foot pedals are shaped in our trucks. You seem to be either happily unemployed, or just amusing yourself by trolling trucking forums.

Which one is it?

I am serious about considering this job. I am not here to troll but to acquire valuable knowledge.

Forget about the design of gas pedals and such. That was another thread anyway. The purpose there was to make general conversation.

I am the type of man who likes to plan things cautiously and carefully.

Is truck driving even for a health-conscience CAUTIOUS man?

I don't know how to do it yet so that's what I figure this forum is for to ask questions.

I won't HAVE time for crock pots and such out on the highway.

I don't want to be preparing a bunch of meals myself on the road as I feel I must CONSERVE time.

I need as much personal time devoted to physical fitness workouts as possible.

How to back up a truck or shift gears is the least of my worries.

For every 24 hour period I spend out on the road, how many hours of PERSONAL time will I have?

Personal time to eat, shower, sleep, shave, sh_t, get dressed, exercise, check emails and so forth.

10. Maybe. Sometimes 24. A couple times, maybe 8. Who knows? It changes more often than I get to change my drawz. It really all depends on the load.

Seriously man, you are WAY overANALizing this. If you are the type who absolutely has to workout 3 hours a day, eat the absolute freshest healtheist foods, get at least 8 hours of blissful sleep in frilly satin sheets, shower everyday, have earth shattering great sex with Venus twice a day, you're probably not going to survive OTR. For a day.

However, if you can wing things, make do with what you have, improvise to meet needs, solve problems on the fly, and (most importantly) phucking compromise a little, then you're going to do ok out here.