Lifestyle Articles :Nutritious Snacks for Nurses on the Go

Posted on Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Nurses understand the importance of good nutrition, but the demanding nature of their job can make it difficult to practice when they’re at work. Long and irregular work hours, demanding patients, and the inevitable crisis chip away at the time allotted for meal breaks. There are many days (or nights) when there just isn’t time to take a break, much less eat a normal meal. Skipped meals coupled with long shifts can strain the body’s ability to maintain the energy and alertness critical to providing quality nursing care.

When there’s no time for a break, nurses need nutritious, high-energy snacks they can eat on the run between patient visits, while filling out charts or during a trip to the supply room. You’ll want to take some snacks to keep at your work station, things you can grab a bite from and leave sitting for a while. And pack a few things you can keep in a pocket for snacking on the run.

Try these healthy, high-energy snacks to keep your energy high when things get hectic:

• In sandwich bags, pack small handfuls of raw nuts with dried fruit. Try pecans with dried pears or whole almonds with cranberries or soy nuts with banana chips.
• Layer a stack of peanut butter crackers.
• Bag up your favorite trail mix or make your own by combining nuts, dried fruit, seeds, tiny pretzels, M&Ms and other bite-sized favorites.
• Pack a tub of raw apple slices with a jar of peanut butter for dipping.
• Buy lunchbox-sized boxes of raisins to carry in your pocket.
• Take a container of celery stalks stuffed with peanut butter or Velveeta cheese. You can pop a bite in your mouth and eat as you work.
• Use raisin bread to give PB&J a new twist. Cut sandwiches in bite-sized quarters for fast snacking.
• Take a tip from hikers and carry an energy bar in your pocket. Clif Bars and Larabars are tasty, easy to chew, non-crumbling and packed with vitamins.
• Pack a banana, apple, string cheese or a baggie of crunchy baby carrots.
• Keep a small cooler at your workstation to store a single serving bottle of milk or cup of yogurt mixed with fruit and granola. Don’t forget a straw or spoon.
• Make a trail enchilada and grab a bite when you can: spread a whole grain tortilla with reduced-fat cream cheese, peanut butter or nut spread, sprinkle with chopped nuts and dried fruit, and roll up.

The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today.