What is in your lunch box?

[RNperdiem]

What do you bring for lunch? I work 12 hour days, and seem to get so low on energy around 5pm. What are the energy generating secrets- is it coffee, energy bars or something else?

[ShayRN]

I also bring my yoga mat and pilates tapes to work with me on nights, and during my break when things are quiet we will sometimes do a 1/2 hour ab workout or legs, It helps me to wake up at 3am when I usually am starting to drag, and gets me through the rest of the shift.

Are you serious?:bowingpur

I am going to be honest here. Cold pizza, take out chinese, and left overs are the staples in my diet.

[abbaking]

Alot of coffee (noc shift), Pepsi or Coke , Snickers, hearty salad with raw broccoli, spinich, jalapenos and carrots. I also eat the carbs and protein usually pasta with vegetarian meats (morningstar farms vegesteak).

[medsurgrnco, BSN, RN]

I find I want something warm when I take my lunch break on a night shift. I take some kind of frozen dinner - recent favorite brands are Lean Cuisine, Kashi, Ethnic Gourmet, and Smokey Robinson. I also eat the individual size frozen steamed veggies and a Lean Pocket. I drink water while taking report and here and there, coffee with lunch, and then a flavored water drink later. I don't eat while working due to sanitary concerns and never take breaks, so I eat a large lunch and also eat a good-sized meal (usually pasta) before work.

[perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN]

this thread is making me really hungry!! i work 12-hr nights, usually eat something like a bagel or PB sandwich and Coke on the way to work (or sometimes fast food if I didn't eat anything else all day, since I usually don't get lunch till close to 2 am), then during the night one of those soup-to-go's or a sandwich, and an apple, baby carrots, or crackers; and more coke (I drink wayyy too much Coke...). I like graham crackers and PB, or a bowl of cereal, for a pick-me-up snack about 4 or 5 am...

Time to go get myself something good to eat...

[nightyngale]

I LOVE Costco!!! :-) I buy pretty much everything there...

I'm known for bringing Lean Ole burritos - I love those things. They come in Chicken or Steak, and are full of rice and beans. Very yummy and cheap. I also bring snack cups of fruit (I finally gave in to the pre-packaged stuff), baby-bel cheese, and some kind of carb, like triscuits, wheat thins, baked chips, or something like that. I down coffee and a bagel on the way to the hospital and drink 1 can of soda while there. I grab a drink of water whenever I can throughout the day.

Not exactly the healthiest thing on the planet, but better than the congealed food in the warmers in the caf.

[AprilRNhere]

I cut out soda, and lowered my carb intake and have noticed a sudden jump in my energy level. I no longer get into that 3 am slump. I drink plenty of water..and eat healthy snacks between meals.

I eat 1 full meal during the night- like I would any other shift. THen..between, I snack on a variety of foods exp.- fruit, boiled eggs, veggies, yogurt- my favorite snack right now is strawberries dipped into vanilla yogurt. MMMmm

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

Trying to bring in more healthy foods - cucumber, tomatoes, yogurt, salads - Still on the low meat diet....and doing well, I feel better! I still drink a 20 oz diet pepsi every night here, but I need the caffiene.

[november17, ASN, RN]

A sandwich bag full of lettuce/spinach and a few black olives, a tub of no-fat refried beans spiced with cumen (cumin?), a sandwich bag of pieces of celery and carrots, a banana or an orange (depending on what I have handy from the grocery store), and a can of red bull. I eat this same meal every single day for lunch (I'm one of those people). I drink water or black coffee while I'm on shift instead of soda. Once a month or so I treat myself to mcdonalds or taco bell. On the bright side, since nursing school ended 9 mos ago, I've managed to lose 20 lbs.....20 more to go!

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

Sounds like you are doing good November!! :) Keep up the good work.

[november17, ASN, RN]

Sounds like you are doing good November!! :) Keep up the good work.

No joke...I literally gained 30+ lbs during nursing school sitting on my butt studying all the time. Ridiculous. It makes a huge difference. It's like carrying around a couple of bowling balls around all day...tiring

[AprilRNhere]

Same here. I dropped 21 lbs in the last month..and have another 10 I'd like to lose.

[FloridaCCRN, CRNA]

This thread has inspired me to start taking lunch to work (instead of ordering out) and eating healthier. Thanks