BUILDING A BALANCED DIET
Healthy from the Start Resources for Shiftworkers
Shiftwork can create unique challenges when it comes to meeting your nutrient requirements. It’s good to start with nutrition guidelines but consider altering them to better suit your everyday routine and food preferences. It’s also important to give yourself some wiggle room when it comes to finding what works for you, as managing your nutrition as a shiftworker can be tough, so it’s important not to be too hard on yourself.
Nutrition guidelines are a good start when it comes to figuring out how best to fuel your body, however, you should consider what works for you and your lifestyle. There can be a lot of pressure to eat the ‘perfect’ diet, but it’s important to remember that this won’t look the same for everyone, and shiftwork can create some barriers. It’s also important to remember that being rigid about how and what you eat can create negative thinking patterns around food, which can create further challenges in the long run (18).
Once you feel like you have a good understanding of your nutrient requirements, experiment with different approaches to work out what suits you best. The aim of this experimentation is to build a diet that meets your nutrient requirements as frequently as possible, while allowing for the foods that you enjoy eating, and fitting meals and meal preparation around your schedule as a shiftworker.
As you can see from the examples below, there are many different ways to build a balanced diet:
Protein:
15g of protein can be found in approximately…
• 40g of lean beef
• 2 slices of low-fat cheddar cheese
• 30g nori seaweed
Carbohydrates:
50g of carbohydrates can be found in approximately…
• 70g white rice
• 110g red lentils
• 2 small bananas
Fats:
10g of fat can be found in approximately…
• A tablespoon of olive oil
• 15g of walnuts
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream
Fibre:
10g of fibre can be found in approximately…
• 3½ Weetbix
• 1 cup of baked beans
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 50g kidney beans
A note on frozen fruits and vegetables:
There is a myth that frozen fruits or vegetables are less healthy that the fresh versions, but this isn’t true! Frozen fruit and veggies can be a great way to have these products on hand all the time, particularly for shiftworkers who may not be able to get to the supermarket easily. Another benefit is that these frozen products can sometimes be cheaper than buying fresh produce, and might already be pre-portioned or chopped, which can save time on preparation.
You can read more about meal preparation, and building nutritious meals and snacks here.