Strategies and Actions

Healthy from the Start Resources for Shiftworkers

MEAL PREPARATION

Working overnight often means less access to a variety of healthy food options. If you need to eat during the night, it can be useful to prepare meals and snacks in advance, so you can limit ultra-processed foods (i.e., foods made mostly from substances extracted from other foods) and choose whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, or wholegrains.

Overnight, there can be limited food options available to support a nutritious diet. Planning and preparing meals in advance of your shift is a great way to ensure you are meeting your nutrient requirement, while eating the foods that you enjoy. Because of their long work hours, sometimes shiftworkers can be time poor, and spending hours meal prepping isn’t always an option.

To prepare a balanced meal, consider the following split:
½ of your meal should be veggie, ¼ of your meal should be carbohydrates, and a ¼ of your meal should be protein.

Here are some quick snack options that offer a balance of nutrients to keep you energised for longer:

DIY snack mix

  • Mix together a combination of your favourite raw nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and popcorn

Veggies and dip

  • Carrots, celery, cucumber or capsicum with avocado or hummus

Yoghurt and fruit

  • High-protein yoghurt with a mixture of berries

Nut butter and fruit

  • Apple slices or a banana with your favourite nut butter

Some ideas on how to build a balanced meal include:

Scrambled eggs on toast

  • ½ plate of non-starchy vegetables = spinach, tomato and mushrooms

  • ¼ plate of complex carbohydrates = 2 pieces of wholegrain toast

  • ¼ plate of lean protein = 2-3 eggs OR 170g tofu

  • Healthy fats = ¼ avocado

Burrito bowl

  • ½ plate of non-starchy vegetables = lettuce, cherry tomatoes, corn, capsicum

  • ¼ plate of complex carbohydrates = ½ cup brown rice

  • ¼ plate of lean protein = 80g chicken OR 1 cup black beans

  • Healthy fats = ¼ avocado OR 2 tablespoons sour cream

Noodle stir-fry

  • ½ plate of non-starchy vegetables = broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum

  • ¼ plate of complex carbohydrates = ½ cup soba noodles

  • ¼ plate of lean protein = 65g beef OR 170g tofu

  • Healthy fats = 30g cashew nuts

Turkey salad sandwich

  • ½ plate of non-starchy vegetables = lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot

  • ¼ plate of complex carbohydrates = 2 pieces of wholegrain bread

  • ¼ plate of lean protein = 80g turkey breast

  • Healthy fats = ¼ avocado OR 2 slices cheese

Sometimes, you might not be able to prepare your food before shift, and you find yourself needing to buy something.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

  • Avoid ultra-processed food (e.g., fast food, cakes, pies, processed meats) as much as possible, as these choices might contribute to both short- and long-term digestive issues, and won’t fuel you well for your shift.

  • Choose snacks that are high in protein and healthy fats (e.g., muesli bars, nuts, plain popcorn).

  • If you do need to rely on ‘fast’ food options, try to balance these out where possible. For example, pick a salad or piece of fruit as a side for a burger, instead of fries.

  • Be kind to yourself – managing your nutrition as a shiftworker can be challenging, and the occasional fast-food meal isn’t the end of the world. Try to eat a nutritious diet the majority of the time to balance things out.

If you are unsure about how processed the food you’re consuming is, this chart provides some examples, ranging from minimally-processed through to ultra-processed foods.⁴¹

 A note on supplements

It’s not uncommon for shiftworkers to use supplements to assist in supporting their health and wellbeing. It’s important that you prioritise getting your vitamins and minerals through nutrition as much as possible, rather than relying on supplementation. If you do need to supplement your diet, this should be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional (e.g., general practitioner, dietitian).

MINDFUL EATING

What you eat can impact your digestion and general health and wellbeing, but so can how you eat. Mindful eating is a great technique to improve your awareness of your eating habits and help you to understand hunger and fullness signals, which can be disrupted by shiftwork.

Mindful eating can help you to become more aware of your food choices, and involves intentionally enjoying the food you’re eating by using all of your senses to focus on the meal or snack. It’s also a great technique to learn to view food as fuel for your body, particularly for people who may have negative thoughts and feelings associated with eating.

The principles of mindful eating include listening to internal cues (i.e., hunger and fullness signal) while paying attention to external factors (e.g., portion sizes or distractions while eating). The aim is to create a purposeful relationship with eating, rather than doing it mindlessly, or on autopilot.

Examples of mindful eating include¹³.

  • Chewing all food before swallowing, which can improve
    digestive symptoms.

  • Taking sips of water between bites, which can slow down the speed that you’re eating, and give your body and brain a chance to process hunger and fullness signals.

  • Savouring the smell and taste of food, which can improve the overall experience of eating, and help you to associate food with positive experiences.

  • Using smaller plates or bowls, which can help you to manage portion sizes and avoid consuming more energy than you need.

  • Not eating in front of the TV, computer, phone, etc., which can help to avoid distractions, which can lead to mindless eating, missing fullness cues, or consuming more food than you need to.

It can be difficult to incorporate mindful eating practices as a shiftworker, particularly if you need to eat during a short break.

Rather than trying to practice all of the steps above, pick the ones that are easiest for you to implement, and try to practice these consistently.

HYDRATION

Hydrating with water is essential for your body and brain to function well. For healthy adults, you should aim to consume 2-3 litres of water per day, and avoid relying on caffeinated beverages (e.g., coffee, energy drinks) or other drinks to meet your hydration needs.

Water is essential for your body, as it is vital for several critical functions – 60% of your body is water!⁴³ For shiftworkers specifically, hydrating with water is important, as it’s also associated with improvements in fatigue, energy levels, and overall mood – all things that are impacted by non-traditional patterns of work.⁴⁴ Water is also extremely important for your brain function, as dehydration is linked to lower alertness, short-term memory issues, poor vision, and mood disturbances.⁴⁵

While coffee and energy drinks provide energy, they are not a replacement for water, and healthy adults should aim to drink 2-3 litres of water each day. Consuming water in the form of sports drinks (e.g., Powerade) or adding supplements (e.g., electrolyte powder) can be a great way to hydrate and replenish your body, particularly if you work in environments where you expend a lot of energy or sweat a lot. However, be mindful that some forms of these may contain high amounts of sugar and/or caffeine.

” I used to drink mostly coffee and tea during night shift, because I wanted the caffeine boost. I figured out that it was contributing to the headaches and nausea that I’d get overnight, and was also making me need to use the bathroom a lot! I switched out most of my drinks for water, and kept to a couple of coffees at the start of my shift, and noticed some big improvements. ”

- Jamal, 29, experienced shiftworker.

TOOLS AND TRACKERS

Tools and trackers can be a good resource to help you track your nutrition, especially your energy intake, macronutrients,
and micronutrients.

There are plenty of different tools available to monitor your nutrition. Nutrition calculators can be helpful to understand your individual energy needs, and the how much of each macronutrient you should be aiming to consume.

Once you understand your energy needs, food diaries or nutrition trackers can allow you to monitor your energy intake, macronutrients, and micronutrients. These can be particularly helpful in a portable format, so try searching ‘food diary’ or ‘nutrition tracker’ in the app store on your mobile phone, and experiment with different apps to see what works best for you.

While these tools can be a great start, consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns or need further support in meeting your nutrient requirements – your general practitioner or a dietitian can be great places to start. You can find a dietitian in your local area here.