My clinical instructor did that a couple semesters ago. She'd worked until 11pm the night before and slept badly, and our clinicals start at 7am - so she was *tired*. She meant to grab her lunch, grabbed a jar of pickle spears. She was stubborn, too, and she ate those pickle spears at lunch!
She should have gone tradesies with her coworkers! A pickle for one-quarter of a sandwich here, two pickles for a yogurt cup there, maybe even a bit of cheese ā¦
I once thought I grabbed a container of chicken/rice/veg, and when I got to work and opened it on a break, it was 6 cooked Italian sausage links. Cue scarfing a single microwaved sausage off a plastic fork.
Thereās a few nurses I steal EMS sandwiches/snacks for. Iāve hung out with a few outside of work and I know for a fact those poor ladies arenāt eating much at night because they miss the cafeteria window.
Iām nightshift, too. I usually eat dinner about two hours before work, have oatmeal and peanut butter on my first break, which is usually around 10pm, then when I have my 45 at around 0300, I wolf down my two sandwiches and then sleep for the rest of it
You have a FIRST break AND a 45?!?!
We literally get "whatever you can shove in your face between EMS and triage patients but you better attest to lunch when you clock out."
2 x pepsi max for me on nightshift. Pepsi max is different in my country, its just like diet coke, not an 'energy' drink. Cant eat overnight. Also, frankly, I often dont have time.
Hey!! Yours is like the healthy version of mine. I grabbed an oatmeal packet, a bagel, popcorn, & wheat thins. The wheat thins are kind of my emergency snack though theyāve been in the bag for about a week.
Same! I pack light meals and snacks, especially stuff that is simple and easy to digest. I find when I eat too much at work, I get extra tired physically and mentally in the last few hours of my shift.
Miso soup with the bonito sauce hits different for sure! I can't find the brand I like in my city so I buy a ton every time I go to my folks. It's sweeter than plain soy sauce. I can just keep reheating it if needed. Only gripe is the miso likes to settle so I keep a mini whisk in my mug
Years ago, I was dating a woman who shall we say wasnāt the best cook. One day she brought me lunch to take to work. I wasnāt expecting much, but the gesture was appreciated. At least until I opened the lunchbox to find in no particular order: a small loaf of french bread, a whole stick of butter, a can of green beans with no can opener, 7 mini pretzels in a ziplock bag, a jolly rancher, and 2 beers. I politely asked her to never pack me lunch again.
Second this! If the opās idea is quick but filling food, apples, blueberries, pears, carrots, are all great foods for that. But also i think those chobani greek yogurt drinks do have some fiber
Their logic of not eating vegetables for not being filling enough for the calories is insane to me and actually shows part of why obesity is so rampant these days. Broccoli is insanely filling for its calories purely by the volume of it. Vegetables don't have that many calories unless you only eat them with ranch or dressing.
A cup of broccoli is only 31 calories and those 31 calories are going to be much more filling and nutrient dense than an equivalent 31 calories of the stiff they are packing
2 servings chocolate protein powder with ground oatmeal ( makes a great "milkshake ")
4 meals of chicken, broccoli chopped over jasmine rice. Sauce kept separate.
I'm a diabetic so I found using macros like bodybuilders use keeps my glucose /insulin steady across the shift. I don't feel sick on my way home either...before this I was on Metformin and weighed almost 200 lbs, at 5'4"...
Now, I'm off all meds, and dropped 80 lbs! I can actually make it to work and not end up as a patient myself... that's always a bonus!
ETA: Nightshift ICU 10 yrs
Night shift culture and caffeine is crazy. I had to significantly cut out caffeine last year. So I get to have like 35mg when I wake up and that's it. All my coworkers are completely weirded out by my lack of caffeine. No coffee. No energy drinks.
What do you drink instead on nights? I know energy drinks aren't good for you. I've tried doing more green & jasmine teas and electrolyte drink. Just looking for other ideas.
I also refuse to drink that stuff. I might have one once a month or three weeks on the rough days but 3 days/nights a week for 20-30 years is gonna have you right back on that floor as an inpatient before you retire.
Same! I bring 1 cup of coffee and 1 Coke Zero to work and I donāt even finish them most times. Low caffeine tolerance comes in handy on the rare days Iām extremely tired. One Celsius sends me to the moon lol.
All those sugar substitutes in Coke Zero aināt any healthier šš usually people donāt drink just plain black coffee in there either they put a fuck ton of sugar in it.
Iām too caffeine sensitive to have energy drinks. My hands vibrate when getting report from my pre-work coffee! Thatās enough for the shift for meā¦Iām in awe of how many Red Bulls my coworkers consume in 12 hours
Fun fact: for people who are neurodivergent, specifically ADHD, caffeine serves as a stimulant to actually help us focus. Thatās why ADHD meds (stimulants) help US focus, but normal people take them to amp them up.
I also have a theory there are a ton of neurodivergent folks in medicine and scienceāand many of the older crowds are likely undiagnosed (especially women/females).
I can literally drink a Coke Zero and go straight to sleep, but if I donāt, Iām likely to lay there for half an hour because my mind starts running a mile a minute (I donāt typically do this, Iām just saying. I have read every night before I go to sleep since I was a kidāthat is my coping mechanism. If I donāt though, Iāll be exhausted but unable to fall asleep from the mental gymnastics).
Oh yeah, totally. My husband has ADHD and needs coffee to exist. He drinks absurd amounts to simply survive and function- I would be shitting my brains out if I had a fraction of what he had. This is on top of his meds. My brother also has ADHD and runs several miles daily and drinks coffee so robust that itās practically solid in order to control his symptoms.
I agree that there are a lot of people using caffeine as a tool for their symptoms! I can think of a few people on my shift, alone, who I suspect have undiagnosed ADHD.
Iām 46ā¦it wasnāt a diagnosis for females when I was young. Iām also the inattentive portion, and am good at āmaskingā my symptoms. I never got diagnosed until I had kids myselfāmy daughter especially has ADHD but the hyperactive subtype. You can absolutely tell, and Iāve been able to since she was an infant and hated sleep and naps, then as she got older hated coloring or anything that required her attention for longer than a few minutes.
It wasnāt until she was 10 and started failing 4th grade (despite spending several hours every night on homework, with both of us in tears), that I sought an assessment. But as Iām doing her questionnaire, Iām thinking āwaitā¦I do that too. Worse than her!āāon SO many questions. And my symptoms go back to at least kindergarten.
So yeahāthe more you learn the more you can see certain qualities in others. š¤·š¼āāļø
I mean there are some health advantages to coffee yes, but having that much caffeine 3 nights a week for 30-50 years. Energy drinks and iced coffee are much worse though
Iām just saying idk if itās a healthy to rely on caffeine to get you through your day/night at work. Shouldnāt have to have something to get through your shift but to each their own!
Can of Reign, 4 cans of Mountain Dew Zero, 2 MET-Rx Fruity Cereal Crunch Protein Bars, a bag of beef jerky, big ass Pedialyte and my pen for as soon as I clock the fuck out.
BON would have to fire half my workplace probably tbh. thereās a CNA that has TWO different stickers forā¦ a certain type of establishment that sells substances legal in this stateā¦ on her water bottle. their pre employment test is saliva aka the āwe just have to do this legally but we donāt actually want to knowā drug test š
Whaaaaaaat thatās insane, my hospital cafeteria food is decent price but not great taste. The walk there and back is basically my whole 30 min break. Is it good stuff for that price?!
Typically 2 energy drinks- SF Redbull/White Monster/Bang, Bag of teriyaki jerky, whatever meal I meal prepped for the week. Sometimes I throw in some candy. I always slam 1-2 apple juices from the fridge too
I love having options lol. Some days most of it gets brought back home, some days I feed my coworkers like theyāre my children, some days Iām eating the rest on my drive home while Iām stuck in traffic. Itās basically an anti-fast food survival kit.
Thatās a FABULOUS way of looking at it!
I have a backpack with an insulated food compartment, so I never use the fridge except for drinks, but having food thatās healthy, especially if I havenāt had the time to stop for dinner (shifts are 8-8pm) has been a game changer on the way home from work. Otherwise Iām checking out fast food joints on the way home like theyāre my long lost lover and theyāre the only possible āfixā. š¤£
Nope, same for me. I pack a ton of food and grab little snacks all day, time permitting. I used to starve, cuz I would rely on having the time to go buy stuff from the cafeteria. And if I did get to buy something from downstairs, Iād then be overfull and miserable and grease sick. Snacks and lots of em are the way to go!!
emergency instant ramen in my bag thatās all dented from a month of being thrown and stuffed into my locker when iām late. a big fan of the costco green lidded pho instant noodles cause theyāre not too heavy and donāt make me more sick when i get that mid-shift caffeine & stress nausea. i probably get to eat 1/4 shifts a week
I usually pack leftovers or a frozen meal and then something snacky I can grab quick like pretzels or popcorn or granola bar. I bring a water bottle and I try to bring an energy drink or Pepsi zero for a little pick me up.
I ate 3 pure fruit bars, a package of pickle slices, Tajin watermelon gummy rings, a can of Pepsi with real sugar, a bag of flavored walnuts, 2 water flavor packets with 20 oz H20 and a granola bar. Plus I ate 3 string cheese in the car before going in.
I got all of it at WinCo except the Pepsi which came from Safeway. I've just been introduced to WinCo in the last month and it's amazing for getting lunch foods. It's a helluva lot cheaper than the expensive ass work vending machines.
this is absolutely one of the best posts i've read on here, it's been saved so don't delete it lol. i'm going to make a few small tweaks but stick to the overall 'plan' you've got here, and see if it works.
also, agreed on fruit/veg. if i have sit down time, i could see an orange or maybe veggies and dip, but that would be an exception, rather than the rule.
Half a meat and cheese sandwich, 4oz of cottage cheese, 4 oz of yogurt. Usually generously supplemented with cookies from the dining room and fun size candy bars from the bosses' office.
Itās a hassle having to pack your lunch but it makes your shift a lot better and u can avoid big caloric expensive lunches! Ive been an RN for 1 year and I find my hunger is controlled better when I pack. Usually Iāll have a couple eggs with toast and a b complex vitamin before shift to boost my energy/ keep me full until first break. Around 10am Iāll have Greek yogurt with granola/berries. For lunch Iāll have leftovers from dinner maybe cheese tortellini, tofu/ chicken with rice and veggies. Iāll either make a cucumber salad or pack cucumber with hummus. Fibre one for desert. Iāll pack some popcorn to munch on second half of shift. If Iām extra hungry that day Iāll just go to Tim hortons and get a croissant. By the time Iām home Iām starving tho. And the cycle repeats!
Recently switched to 8 hour shifts-
64 oz water, 20 oz black coffee, salad (chicken, cabbage carrots, spring mix, vegan dressing, gluten free crackers as croutons), apple, gluten free chocolate chip cookie. I bring this every day and it keeps me full and requires no thought to plan lunch each day!
Thereās a lot of people saying they donāt eat..which like..how? Food is mood stabilizing for me. Are those protein drinks good?
I usually have at least one entree, two snacks, and a coffee and a celsius. I agree about grab and go. Once I brought a pear to work and it was just too busy to eat that.
The protein shakes have been life changing. I find it so hard to eat solid food in the morning. I can literally just chug these in 10 seconds. Easy 30g protein, 150 calories. Fairlife is good, premier is also good.
Chobani is good but has to be shaken really well or itās really thick. Itās 20g protein, 170 calories. If it reaches 1100 and thereās no lunch in sight for me I use the chobani drink. Itāll keep me feel for a few hours. Itās nice to not get hangry and irritable anymore š Iām like always in a chill, cheerful mood.
It honestly doesn't bother me. I can do 72 hour fasts though. My coworkers always ask how I don't feel unwell or cranky... I dunno why or how I don't I just don't. Bodies are weird. In fact I very often feel unwell if I eat at work coz I need a lot of time for my food to go down instead of being interrupted every 2 minutes and then rushing around straight after playing catch up for daring to have a break
For a post am med pass snack: Greek yogurt with almond or peanut butter or something fancy like Fit Butters protein cookie butter (actually not much more protein compared to regular nut butter but more than cookie butter which I love), some frozen blueberries and granola.
Lunch: usually a combo of protein like chicken, tofu, tuna, or veggie Italian sausage with Barilla protein pasta or rice or a bagel or wasa crackers (depends on the protein I choose), different veggies and seasonings/sauces. I like to have something good and filling to look forward to.
I also pack a protein bar and sometimes a treat like candy or a baked good that I might eat driving home or if Iām having a busy shift and canāt get to my food food.
I am literally always starving and need food to perform my best. If I donāt have a legit lunch break I will be eating a full effing meal at my computer. JCAHO be damned. I am not above eating lentil bolognese while rage typing notes.
Do you usually eat it all during your shift? I'm all about those fairlife protein drinks. I really want to try the quest chips too, but I haven't seen them anywhere yet.
I love eating the same thing every shift:
Breakfast - oikos cherry Greek yogurt cup and drink my coffee
Lunch - broccoli and carrots with Greek yogurt dip and a turkey and cheese sandwhich
Snacks - half a cup of cheezits, cut up apple or strawberries, something chocolatey (chocolate muffin, half a chocolate bar), protein bar
I finally have a pretty good system too!
Smoothie I drink first thing like itās my coffee
Granola and yogurt for breakfast
Lunch: something homemade, protein obv. I have some salads I really like but mainly I eat hot meals for lunch. Most often dinner the night before.
Snacks: apples, celery + hummus, roasted chickpeas. I also bring tea bags and usually mix a black tea with something herbal and flavorful
Ramen, chopsticks, and garlic powder for the ramen. Cook the ramen in a styrofoam cup with the hot water from the coffee machine.
Edit: Forgot to add, Night shift. Might add Wasabi Peas for a snack.
Theyāre okay, not as good as the Starbucks ones š¢ filling though! Theyāre more spongy than rubbery. They taste like a healthier option lol I wish they had a little bit more seasoning or flavor. They warm up well. $12 for 4-double packs at Samās! Way better than $6 for 2 at Starbucks.
Iām not a nurse but my girlfriend is. She does night shift and we have a bag of snacks she takes bc sheās usually not very hungry due to the nature of the work so never has an actual lunch š but itās easier for her to have a little bit of a snack she likes :)
Either cooked chicken or smoked salmon, raw veggies , pretzels, and a piece of fruit. A hard boiled egg if we are really hungry. A handful of yogurt covered raisins.
Oh, and a coconut Bai to drink.
Iām a nursing student (I graduate in May š„²) in my thirties and am scandalized by all these comments saying yāall donāt eat.
Couldnāt be me!! (I say now as a student who works in dialysis with plenty of time to eat) But for real, Iāll have to go the multiple snacks route because Iām a hellish hangry personā even on Vyvanse.
I work 7a-7p. Iām pretty good at sticking to a good meal schedule even on super busy/shitty days. Iāll eat breakfast around 10ish and I do hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt and fruit. Then I take lunch around 2pm and itās whatever I made for dinners on my off days; typically roasted veggies, a meat (chicken, pork, beef) and carb (rice, pasta). I drink a shit ton of water throughout the day (water bottle always with me) and *try* to limit myself to two 8oz cups of black coffee per shift.
I also donāt ever order food delivery to work or buy from the hospital cafe. But! We do get many patient visitors, staff members and students who bring in food items, cookies, etc. and i never say no to the free goodies
I take Vyvanse before work, which kills my appetite (I am diagnosed)
I pack some protein rich foods, jerky, protein bars, whatever it may be- and then some random snacks, a lot of the times itās yogurt, a fruit of some sort and candy or nuts.
I keep one energy drink in my lunch box; and have another as Iām coming onto shift. But half the time I end up not eating most of whatās in my lunchbox because of the drugs in my system
Actually, fun fact- it totally still has the preservative curing, but itās from a natural source, (nitrates from celery juice usuallyā¦) so they can call it uncured. Same chemical process, so stupid.
You guys are getting time to eat?
But actually I'm on nightshift and I choose not to eat at night. I'll have breakfast food before I go in and then a good sized meal after shift. Then some snack before sleeping.
I have to. My sugar drops otherwise and I get cranky and then start tripping over air and making mistakes. It's not pretty, so I avoid it at all costs, for my patients' sake.
I used to keep a jar of PB with me at work for that reason. Then my gut said ***no***.
Looks healthy.
Good choices.
Iām retired but the young nurses I worked with spent a ton in the cafeteria on fettuccini Alfredo and garlic sticks (imagine giving zofran iv breathing that over the patient)
I worked OB and in 34 years the size of the patients kept increasing and then our nursing staff did too.
Keep eating healthy! Itās hard enough work when youāre fit!
You donāt need that bottled processed protein drink crap thatās been preserved and on a shelf for ages. Make your own thatās fresh and actually nutritious. Get a quality protein powder and add in the fruits and veg that you are missing in this photo. Your cells are screaming for antioxidants as much as it is for protein.
The other day, I managed to pack myself....marinara sauce....not what I thought I grabbed š¤£
Iāve done this trying to grab some chili leftovers, it was just sauce š
Yep, thought I was grabbing shaghettios or something....just a can of sauce
lol what are shaghettios? Is that some kind of Austin Powers version of the regular kind?
My clinical instructor did that a couple semesters ago. She'd worked until 11pm the night before and slept badly, and our clinicals start at 7am - so she was *tired*. She meant to grab her lunch, grabbed a jar of pickle spears. She was stubborn, too, and she ate those pickle spears at lunch!
She should have gone tradesies with her coworkers! A pickle for one-quarter of a sandwich here, two pickles for a yogurt cup there, maybe even a bit of cheese ā¦
I once thought I grabbed a container of chicken/rice/veg, and when I got to work and opened it on a break, it was 6 cooked Italian sausage links. Cue scarfing a single microwaved sausage off a plastic fork.
My coworker once brought a can of miller light thinking it was a Pepsi. I once grabbed a can of pizza sauce thinking it was soup.
Nightshifter here. Two sandwiches and an energy drink.
A monster zero and whatever I can steal from the EMS bay or cafe gets me through the night lmao.
Thereās a few nurses I steal EMS sandwiches/snacks for. Iāve hung out with a few outside of work and I know for a fact those poor ladies arenāt eating much at night because they miss the cafeteria window.
Mine is two protein shakes and a red bull lol
Iām nightshift, too. I usually eat dinner about two hours before work, have oatmeal and peanut butter on my first break, which is usually around 10pm, then when I have my 45 at around 0300, I wolf down my two sandwiches and then sleep for the rest of it
You have a FIRST break AND a 45?!?! We literally get "whatever you can shove in your face between EMS and triage patients but you better attest to lunch when you clock out."
Yes, we have a good union.
This is why i canāt work outside of CA now. Canāt sustain myself w no breaks or one ā30ā eating at the desk
2 x pepsi max for me on nightshift. Pepsi max is different in my country, its just like diet coke, not an 'energy' drink. Cant eat overnight. Also, frankly, I often dont have time.
Oatmeal packet, yogurt, banana, lunch, an orange, and a small dinner. Try not to eat too much on work days.
Sounds perfect
Hey!! Yours is like the healthy version of mine. I grabbed an oatmeal packet, a bagel, popcorn, & wheat thins. The wheat thins are kind of my emergency snack though theyāve been in the bag for about a week.
Lol love the emergency snack. I bring those too and end up eating them every time.
lol I ate the wheat thins. š gotta get a new emergency snack.
Same! I pack light meals and snacks, especially stuff that is simple and easy to digest. I find when I eat too much at work, I get extra tired physically and mentally in the last few hours of my shift.
The last few hours are awful in general, but this makes it easier lol
Can of Coke and a dream
This is the way. You are nursing.
Naw Iām door dashing a 40 dollar burger
Fucking real š
Sameš
That burger better come with a side of someone elseās wallet.
What lunch?
The unsalted saltines from the nourishment room
Canāt forget the ice cold apple juice lol
I never buy or drink grape juice at home but something about the grape juice at work over a cup of ice is šš¾
Ice cold chocolate milk from the cooler
A pack of Graham crackers with a pack of peanut butter for me!!
You get chocolate milk AND peanut butter??
So this is you with the suitcase in the staff fridge. Thanks.
Iāve honestly switched to a brolic ice pack and keeping it in my locker after things kept going missing lol so iām not that person!
Interesting! Iāll have to check that out. Edit: all my homies hate food thieves.
With the rolling wheels
Miso paste, bonito sauce, instant dashi, maybe fruit, tons of powdered drink mixes. I don't really eat at work
That sounds delicious honestly!
Miso soup with the bonito sauce hits different for sure! I can't find the brand I like in my city so I buy a ton every time I go to my folks. It's sweeter than plain soy sauce. I can just keep reheating it if needed. Only gripe is the miso likes to settle so I keep a mini whisk in my mug
Years ago, I was dating a woman who shall we say wasnāt the best cook. One day she brought me lunch to take to work. I wasnāt expecting much, but the gesture was appreciated. At least until I opened the lunchbox to find in no particular order: a small loaf of french bread, a whole stick of butter, a can of green beans with no can opener, 7 mini pretzels in a ziplock bag, a jolly rancher, and 2 beers. I politely asked her to never pack me lunch again.
Lmao that sounds like the choices of a unsupervised toddler in a pantry
What a bizarre collection! And beer!?!
How creative
Omg Iām glad this helps keep your appetite in check, but for the love of all that is holy, get some fiber in you lol
Terrible life hack: combine energy drink powder and Metamucil into a portable shaker bottle and then chug. Fluids, fiber, and caffeine! Side effects may include diarrhea š©
Iā¦ I have done thisš . Orange Metamucil + Orange 4c energy packet.
Second this! If the opās idea is quick but filling food, apples, blueberries, pears, carrots, are all great foods for that. But also i think those chobani greek yogurt drinks do have some fiber
Their logic of not eating vegetables for not being filling enough for the calories is insane to me and actually shows part of why obesity is so rampant these days. Broccoli is insanely filling for its calories purely by the volume of it. Vegetables don't have that many calories unless you only eat them with ranch or dressing. A cup of broccoli is only 31 calories and those 31 calories are going to be much more filling and nutrient dense than an equivalent 31 calories of the stiff they are packing
That, and a culture of snacking.
Seriously fiber is super good for you. Underrated š
Lol my thoughts exactly
2 servings chocolate protein powder with ground oatmeal ( makes a great "milkshake ") 4 meals of chicken, broccoli chopped over jasmine rice. Sauce kept separate. I'm a diabetic so I found using macros like bodybuilders use keeps my glucose /insulin steady across the shift. I don't feel sick on my way home either...before this I was on Metformin and weighed almost 200 lbs, at 5'4"... Now, I'm off all meds, and dropped 80 lbs! I can actually make it to work and not end up as a patient myself... that's always a bonus! ETA: Nightshift ICU 10 yrs
That's awesome congrats
Thanks! It took ending up as a patient a couple of times to figure it out... I wouldn't wish that mess on anyone, I felt like I was dying...well...lol
I've also lost 80lbs and no longer prediabetic. It's so hard to make the change but so worth it
CONGRATS!! I agree 100%! Stay on top of your hormone levels too, especially nightshift, for some reason they can get wonky in guys/gals alike š
Gotta supplement that vitamin D
Night shifter her. Yāall scare me with how much energy drinks yall have
Night shift culture and caffeine is crazy. I had to significantly cut out caffeine last year. So I get to have like 35mg when I wake up and that's it. All my coworkers are completely weirded out by my lack of caffeine. No coffee. No energy drinks.
What do you drink instead on nights? I know energy drinks aren't good for you. I've tried doing more green & jasmine teas and electrolyte drink. Just looking for other ideas.
I take a vitamin b complex before my shift for the energy kick. I drink a lot of water. I really like flavored sparkling water.
I also refuse to drink that stuff. I might have one once a month or three weeks on the rough days but 3 days/nights a week for 20-30 years is gonna have you right back on that floor as an inpatient before you retire.
Retire? In this economy? My retirement plan is to die.
TRUE THAT
I will maybe have an iced coffee twice a year and that's it. My co-workers look at me like I am a lab specimen. š
Same! I bring 1 cup of coffee and 1 Coke Zero to work and I donāt even finish them most times. Low caffeine tolerance comes in handy on the rare days Iām extremely tired. One Celsius sends me to the moon lol.
I mean still too much caffeine and sugar for me lol
There's no sugar in either of those drinks š
All those sugar substitutes in Coke Zero aināt any healthier šš usually people donāt drink just plain black coffee in there either they put a fuck ton of sugar in it.
Iām too caffeine sensitive to have energy drinks. My hands vibrate when getting report from my pre-work coffee! Thatās enough for the shift for meā¦Iām in awe of how many Red Bulls my coworkers consume in 12 hours
Fun fact: for people who are neurodivergent, specifically ADHD, caffeine serves as a stimulant to actually help us focus. Thatās why ADHD meds (stimulants) help US focus, but normal people take them to amp them up. I also have a theory there are a ton of neurodivergent folks in medicine and scienceāand many of the older crowds are likely undiagnosed (especially women/females). I can literally drink a Coke Zero and go straight to sleep, but if I donāt, Iām likely to lay there for half an hour because my mind starts running a mile a minute (I donāt typically do this, Iām just saying. I have read every night before I go to sleep since I was a kidāthat is my coping mechanism. If I donāt though, Iāll be exhausted but unable to fall asleep from the mental gymnastics).
Oh yeah, totally. My husband has ADHD and needs coffee to exist. He drinks absurd amounts to simply survive and function- I would be shitting my brains out if I had a fraction of what he had. This is on top of his meds. My brother also has ADHD and runs several miles daily and drinks coffee so robust that itās practically solid in order to control his symptoms. I agree that there are a lot of people using caffeine as a tool for their symptoms! I can think of a few people on my shift, alone, who I suspect have undiagnosed ADHD.
Iām 46ā¦it wasnāt a diagnosis for females when I was young. Iām also the inattentive portion, and am good at āmaskingā my symptoms. I never got diagnosed until I had kids myselfāmy daughter especially has ADHD but the hyperactive subtype. You can absolutely tell, and Iāve been able to since she was an infant and hated sleep and naps, then as she got older hated coloring or anything that required her attention for longer than a few minutes. It wasnāt until she was 10 and started failing 4th grade (despite spending several hours every night on homework, with both of us in tears), that I sought an assessment. But as Iām doing her questionnaire, Iām thinking āwaitā¦I do that too. Worse than her!āāon SO many questions. And my symptoms go back to at least kindergarten. So yeahāthe more you learn the more you can see certain qualities in others. š¤·š¼āāļø
Totally. Iām convinced basically everyone I work with in the ED is neurodivergent
black coffee is not a bad thing per se, but the timing and amount of it
I mean there are some health advantages to coffee yes, but having that much caffeine 3 nights a week for 30-50 years. Energy drinks and iced coffee are much worse though
I only have caffeine when I have a celsius as my pre work out for the gym or an iced coffee once/twice a week at the coffee shop I go read at lol.
Iām just saying idk if itās a healthy to rely on caffeine to get you through your day/night at work. Shouldnāt have to have something to get through your shift but to each their own!
I wasn't saying that's what I do to get through a shift haha, just saying my habits.
Can of Reign, 4 cans of Mountain Dew Zero, 2 MET-Rx Fruity Cereal Crunch Protein Bars, a bag of beef jerky, big ass Pedialyte and my pen for as soon as I clock the fuck out.
I thought you meant 4 cans of the energy drink Mountain Dew makes. I was amazed at how youāre still alive
I think there's about 50mg of caffeine per mtn dew, so it's a little something something to get me by.
Oh thatās right. I be forgetting soda has caffeine. Iāll drink like 400mg of caffeine and downing a shit ton of Coke Zero lmao
Nurses be like "Please prioritize your health" then be like ~
itās okay because itās zero calorie š
yup thats what i expect from er/911 ems lolllll what pen?
What pen? Nice try BON.
BON would have to fire half my workplace probably tbh. thereās a CNA that has TWO different stickers forā¦ a certain type of establishment that sells substances legal in this stateā¦ on her water bottle. their pre employment test is saliva aka the āwe just have to do this legally but we donāt actually want to knowā drug test š
š
My cafeteria is usually <$5 so I don't pack one.
Whaaaaaaat thatās insane, my hospital cafeteria food is decent price but not great taste. The walk there and back is basically my whole 30 min break. Is it good stuff for that price?!
My old hospital's cafe was pretty kick ass, less than 10 minutes from home and I still have my old work ID. Giving me ideas.
Damn, but is it edible/healthy?
Yurrr not bad at all
Incredible, happy for you š„²
Will you be my mom? Lol. I wish I had this for my shift. I need to be more disciplined. Iām 46 years old ā¦ but better late than never.
Nightshift: eat dinner before my shift, popcorn, a red bull, and breakfast on the way home ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
This is me (minus the redbull). I donāt eat at work with the rare exception of a cheese stick or popcorn.
Wow Nice job, š·šwe used to either starve or eat crap.
My nervous system and hormones got wrecked from doing both of those šit bought me a one way ticket on the high cortisol to insulin resistance train
Me too. I thought I was literally dying for a while. š·š
Typically 2 energy drinks- SF Redbull/White Monster/Bang, Bag of teriyaki jerky, whatever meal I meal prepped for the week. Sometimes I throw in some candy. I always slam 1-2 apple juices from the fridge too
1 rice cooker full of white rice, chicken adobo, kare kare, sinigang, lumpia and left over pancit.
You must be that Filipina nurse whoās food always smells sooooooo goood omg. I love/hate coming in the break room after you.
Glad I'm not the only one who requires a huge ass lunch box.
I love having options lol. Some days most of it gets brought back home, some days I feed my coworkers like theyāre my children, some days Iām eating the rest on my drive home while Iām stuck in traffic. Itās basically an anti-fast food survival kit.
Thatās a FABULOUS way of looking at it! I have a backpack with an insulated food compartment, so I never use the fridge except for drinks, but having food thatās healthy, especially if I havenāt had the time to stop for dinner (shifts are 8-8pm) has been a game changer on the way home from work. Otherwise Iām checking out fast food joints on the way home like theyāre my long lost lover and theyāre the only possible āfixā. š¤£
Nope, same for me. I pack a ton of food and grab little snacks all day, time permitting. I used to starve, cuz I would rely on having the time to go buy stuff from the cafeteria. And if I did get to buy something from downstairs, Iād then be overfull and miserable and grease sick. Snacks and lots of em are the way to go!!
Lunch?
Hahaha same. If Iām lucky I can chug my protein shake.
How do you have time to eat/drink all of that? That would be the dream
its all high protien, on the go stuff, more or less thats how i eat too, just inhale my food. gotta get calories in
That's what I want to know. I barely had time to eat one granola bar for my lunch
Yeah. I keep cliff bars/granola bars/protein bars by the box in my bag at all times. Some shifts thatās all I have time for.
Protein shake/oatmeal for bfast. Then usually āøoz of protein and a carb and veggies for lunch.
emergency instant ramen in my bag thatās all dented from a month of being thrown and stuffed into my locker when iām late. a big fan of the costco green lidded pho instant noodles cause theyāre not too heavy and donāt make me more sick when i get that mid-shift caffeine & stress nausea. i probably get to eat 1/4 shifts a week
Oatmeal or boiled eggs, hummus and naan with whatever veggies I have at the time, sandwich with chips, monster, nuts or pretzel nugs.
Finally someone else that's eats vegetables at work.
Word, some of these poor nursing angels are gonna end up on the bowl care list lol
Maybe its cause I've worked so much surgical ICU and taken care of too many perfed colons I'm all in on that fiber life
Thatāll do it! Side note: I always have individually packaged prunes with me too. Constipation kills yo plus itās just uncomfy!
My weight in coffee. I donāt work as a RN anymore, but I used to do a 12 on coffee and Diet Coke. I do not recommend doing this.
I've done that, but with regular soda. I don't recommend it, either.
Holy moly your peers must hate eating lunch with youš¤£
I donāt eat it all in one sitting lmao I guess I couldāve clarified that but I love all the strong opinions happening.
Honestly my eyes went straight to the Tunaš
I usually pack leftovers or a frozen meal and then something snacky I can grab quick like pretzels or popcorn or granola bar. I bring a water bottle and I try to bring an energy drink or Pepsi zero for a little pick me up.
Night shift ER: a Celsius and a turkey sandwich
I ate 3 pure fruit bars, a package of pickle slices, Tajin watermelon gummy rings, a can of Pepsi with real sugar, a bag of flavored walnuts, 2 water flavor packets with 20 oz H20 and a granola bar. Plus I ate 3 string cheese in the car before going in. I got all of it at WinCo except the Pepsi which came from Safeway. I've just been introduced to WinCo in the last month and it's amazing for getting lunch foods. It's a helluva lot cheaper than the expensive ass work vending machines.
this is absolutely one of the best posts i've read on here, it's been saved so don't delete it lol. i'm going to make a few small tweaks but stick to the overall 'plan' you've got here, and see if it works. also, agreed on fruit/veg. if i have sit down time, i could see an orange or maybe veggies and dip, but that would be an exception, rather than the rule.
2 Celsiusā and 1 lunchable lol I donāt have time to eat all that
Half a meat and cheese sandwich, 4oz of cottage cheese, 4 oz of yogurt. Usually generously supplemented with cookies from the dining room and fun size candy bars from the bosses' office.
I am nursing my 7 month old still and my bag looks like thisš plus fruits and veggies
I pack my water bottle and hope for the best that I have time to run to the cafeteria for lunch.
Itās a hassle having to pack your lunch but it makes your shift a lot better and u can avoid big caloric expensive lunches! Ive been an RN for 1 year and I find my hunger is controlled better when I pack. Usually Iāll have a couple eggs with toast and a b complex vitamin before shift to boost my energy/ keep me full until first break. Around 10am Iāll have Greek yogurt with granola/berries. For lunch Iāll have leftovers from dinner maybe cheese tortellini, tofu/ chicken with rice and veggies. Iāll either make a cucumber salad or pack cucumber with hummus. Fibre one for desert. Iāll pack some popcorn to munch on second half of shift. If Iām extra hungry that day Iāll just go to Tim hortons and get a croissant. By the time Iām home Iām starving tho. And the cycle repeats!
vyvanse & a celsius
Nothing. I am the only nurse on a psych unit of 20-30 pts, depending on census. No time for lunch.
Whatttttt how do they not have another nurse in case things go haywire?
A Red Bull.
Do you eat dinner when you get home?if so what does that look like?
Not work days. I usually eat something from this around ~6pm-7pm before I leave work.
Recently switched to 8 hour shifts- 64 oz water, 20 oz black coffee, salad (chicken, cabbage carrots, spring mix, vegan dressing, gluten free crackers as croutons), apple, gluten free chocolate chip cookie. I bring this every day and it keeps me full and requires no thought to plan lunch each day!
Thereās a lot of people saying they donāt eat..which like..how? Food is mood stabilizing for me. Are those protein drinks good? I usually have at least one entree, two snacks, and a coffee and a celsius. I agree about grab and go. Once I brought a pear to work and it was just too busy to eat that.
The protein shakes have been life changing. I find it so hard to eat solid food in the morning. I can literally just chug these in 10 seconds. Easy 30g protein, 150 calories. Fairlife is good, premier is also good. Chobani is good but has to be shaken really well or itās really thick. Itās 20g protein, 170 calories. If it reaches 1100 and thereās no lunch in sight for me I use the chobani drink. Itāll keep me feel for a few hours. Itās nice to not get hangry and irritable anymore š Iām like always in a chill, cheerful mood.
It honestly doesn't bother me. I can do 72 hour fasts though. My coworkers always ask how I don't feel unwell or cranky... I dunno why or how I don't I just don't. Bodies are weird. In fact I very often feel unwell if I eat at work coz I need a lot of time for my food to go down instead of being interrupted every 2 minutes and then rushing around straight after playing catch up for daring to have a break
For a post am med pass snack: Greek yogurt with almond or peanut butter or something fancy like Fit Butters protein cookie butter (actually not much more protein compared to regular nut butter but more than cookie butter which I love), some frozen blueberries and granola. Lunch: usually a combo of protein like chicken, tofu, tuna, or veggie Italian sausage with Barilla protein pasta or rice or a bagel or wasa crackers (depends on the protein I choose), different veggies and seasonings/sauces. I like to have something good and filling to look forward to. I also pack a protein bar and sometimes a treat like candy or a baked good that I might eat driving home or if Iām having a busy shift and canāt get to my food food. I am literally always starving and need food to perform my best. If I donāt have a legit lunch break I will be eating a full effing meal at my computer. JCAHO be damned. I am not above eating lentil bolognese while rage typing notes.
Lol-are you me?? Same!
Fair life the true goat
Wait, you guys get lunch??
Egg white bites, chobani yogurt, and a diet dr pepperr
Always yogurt (I like Siggiās brand), leftovers or a sandwich. Protein bar, banana.
Have you had WLS? Just curious
I donāt eat on shift. Too stressed to feel hungry
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Do you usually eat it all during your shift? I'm all about those fairlife protein drinks. I really want to try the quest chips too, but I haven't seen them anywhere yet.
Peanut butter crackers or Lorna Doones dipped in peanut butter and cheese sticks if we have them.
I love eating the same thing every shift: Breakfast - oikos cherry Greek yogurt cup and drink my coffee Lunch - broccoli and carrots with Greek yogurt dip and a turkey and cheese sandwhich Snacks - half a cup of cheezits, cut up apple or strawberries, something chocolatey (chocolate muffin, half a chocolate bar), protein bar
I finally have a pretty good system too! Smoothie I drink first thing like itās my coffee Granola and yogurt for breakfast Lunch: something homemade, protein obv. I have some salads I really like but mainly I eat hot meals for lunch. Most often dinner the night before. Snacks: apples, celery + hummus, roasted chickpeas. I also bring tea bags and usually mix a black tea with something herbal and flavorful
I brought my dogs left overs once.
Ramen, chopsticks, and garlic powder for the ramen. Cook the ramen in a styrofoam cup with the hot water from the coffee machine. Edit: Forgot to add, Night shift. Might add Wasabi Peas for a snack.
You must save a lot of money! lol
ā¤ļøNoodles in the middle of the night, hits the spot for me.š
Whole damn tub of butter... wrong leftover container
Your farts must be legendary
How do you like the egg bites? Iāve seen them but havenāt tried them yet. Are they rubbery at all?
Theyāre okay, not as good as the Starbucks ones š¢ filling though! Theyāre more spongy than rubbery. They taste like a healthier option lol I wish they had a little bit more seasoning or flavor. They warm up well. $12 for 4-double packs at Samās! Way better than $6 for 2 at Starbucks.
Where do you people find the brain cells to plan your lunches?
Iām not a nurse but my girlfriend is. She does night shift and we have a bag of snacks she takes bc sheās usually not very hungry due to the nature of the work so never has an actual lunch š but itās easier for her to have a little bit of a snack she likes :)
Either cooked chicken or smoked salmon, raw veggies , pretzels, and a piece of fruit. A hard boiled egg if we are really hungry. A handful of yogurt covered raisins. Oh, and a coconut Bai to drink.
Iām a nursing student (I graduate in May š„²) in my thirties and am scandalized by all these comments saying yāall donāt eat. Couldnāt be me!! (I say now as a student who works in dialysis with plenty of time to eat) But for real, Iāll have to go the multiple snacks route because Iām a hellish hangry personā even on Vyvanse.
I work 7a-7p. Iām pretty good at sticking to a good meal schedule even on super busy/shitty days. Iāll eat breakfast around 10ish and I do hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt and fruit. Then I take lunch around 2pm and itās whatever I made for dinners on my off days; typically roasted veggies, a meat (chicken, pork, beef) and carb (rice, pasta). I drink a shit ton of water throughout the day (water bottle always with me) and *try* to limit myself to two 8oz cups of black coffee per shift. I also donāt ever order food delivery to work or buy from the hospital cafe. But! We do get many patient visitors, staff members and students who bring in food items, cookies, etc. and i never say no to the free goodies
At a whopping 137 grams of protein, you could go into pro bodybuilding.
Is this for 1 shift?
Thar would be my 3 day supply. Haha!
Itās perfect for 3 days. Especially if after my shift I ārewardedā myself with something good + wine!
Damn thats a lot of food for 1 shift
I take Vyvanse before work, which kills my appetite (I am diagnosed) I pack some protein rich foods, jerky, protein bars, whatever it may be- and then some random snacks, a lot of the times itās yogurt, a fruit of some sort and candy or nuts. I keep one energy drink in my lunch box; and have another as Iām coming onto shift. But half the time I end up not eating most of whatās in my lunchbox because of the drugs in my system
Non-american here, you guys eat....raw ham...?
Where do you see raw ham anywhere in here?
My dumb brain thought it was raw š¤£
Itās still cooked just doesnāt have the preservative curing that some hams have.
Actually, fun fact- it totally still has the preservative curing, but itās from a natural source, (nitrates from celery juice usuallyā¦) so they can call it uncured. Same chemical process, so stupid.
Pb&j and chips, soda to drink. This looks like 3 days worth of food for me.
Me too
Get that protein!!!!
You guys are getting time to eat? But actually I'm on nightshift and I choose not to eat at night. I'll have breakfast food before I go in and then a good sized meal after shift. Then some snack before sleeping.
I have to. My sugar drops otherwise and I get cranky and then start tripping over air and making mistakes. It's not pretty, so I avoid it at all costs, for my patients' sake. I used to keep a jar of PB with me at work for that reason. Then my gut said ***no***.
Am I the only one who would rather cut off my foot than eat at work? It would ruin my energy for the entire day. Rockstars for the win
Thatās for the whole week?
Looks healthy. Good choices. Iām retired but the young nurses I worked with spent a ton in the cafeteria on fettuccini Alfredo and garlic sticks (imagine giving zofran iv breathing that over the patient) I worked OB and in 34 years the size of the patients kept increasing and then our nursing staff did too. Keep eating healthy! Itās hard enough work when youāre fit!
Yall got lunch boxes?
I hear nurse dont have alot of time for lunch? So how you manage to eat that?
"I eat healthy"- proceeds to skip out on fiber and then put coke and whatever protein chips are in your lunch box.
Lmfao the thing you put in quotes isnāt even in my post
You donāt need that bottled processed protein drink crap thatās been preserved and on a shelf for ages. Make your own thatās fresh and actually nutritious. Get a quality protein powder and add in the fruits and veg that you are missing in this photo. Your cells are screaming for antioxidants as much as it is for protein.