Starting nights, what to eat?

[mrod]

I am recently a new grad and I am starting 12 hour nights. What do night nurses eat and when? I heard that you are most likely going to gain weight eating when you do nights but how about if you eat reasonable and good?? I figure a regular supper around 11 p and then snack on fruit or something.

What does everyone else do?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

There was a local restaurant that catered to night shift workers. I could go in at 0730-0800 and get a steak and potato meal, and a beer. I loved this place, unfortunately, they closed down, owner retired.

I think I'd be going into MOURNING if I had a setup like that and it closed! There are many times I feel like stopping at a restaurant or diner for a burger, or wrap, something with HEFT on my way home but I know all they've got on the grill is eggs

[All_Smiles_RN]

I eat dinner with my family around 5pm before going in to work. Eat my packed lunch around 2am. I'll save some grapes or an apple for 5am or so And then nothing more until I wake up the next day around 4pm. I do my 3 days in a row and the routine works for me. In time, you'll figure out what works for you.

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

Working nights? Nothing but comfort food! Candy and coffee!

Of course, this guarentees that you will feel really crummy by 5am, but that is typically what we did. Going home feeling crummy has the benefit of making food appear unappealing, so no weight gain, but probably not as healthy as we should have been. In our defense, young and stupid (all the new nurses got stuck with the night shift). I would not be able to take it now!