Eating healthy while on the job

[flying4dollars]

As the title states, just curious as to how you guys who try and eat healthy on a regular basis, maintain your good eating habits while on pairings?

Personally, I drinks shakes for breakfast, make a chickpea/bean salad that usually lasts for 4 days, and dinners I just eat out and try and order something healthy. This way I can take my shakes and salads with me on pairings.

[co-joe]

I wish I had a picture of Brody S at NCA on his way to a flight. Loaded to the gills with Usana stuff, and a cooler fit for a whole baseball team load of beer, except his is full of nutritious snacks.

Me never ate a healthy meal while flying. Sure ate a lot of comissary. Like on of my co workers said: "Being a pilot is much like being a seagull; fly around...eat some garbage...take a nap...fly around...eat some more garbage."

[TopperHarley]

- Limit the amount of crew meals I eat. I never eat the whole thing. I offer my dessert to the captain or to the cutest FA.
- I try not to eat the hot cookies or chocolate/maple fudge on our flights. This is very tough.
- If Im on a long pairing, I'll stop at a grocery store for dinner on some nights. I buy stuff low in sodium, low in fat, low in sugar, high in protein. Fruits, veggies, cottage cheese, etc. Marks & Spencer in the UK has some great chicken salads which are very healthy.
- I always pack cereal (usually Kashi or Vector) and oatmeal with me. Plain oatmeal, not the sugary kind. I always have this for breakfast and snacking.
- I bring meal replacement shakes.
- I always eat from the crew snacks fruit plate. I try to eat a lot of fruit, at least 1 banana and 1 apple per day.

[medEvac]

tim hortons

[scopiton]

"Being a pilot is much like being a seagull; fly around...eat some garbage...take a nap...fly around...eat some more garbage."

that one made my day

[flying4dollars]

- Limit the amount of crew meals I eat. I never eat the whole thing. I offer my dessert to the captain or to the cutest FA.
- I try not to eat the hot cookies or chocolate/maple fudge on our flights. This is very tough.
- If Im on a long pairing, I'll stop at a grocery store for dinner on some nights. I buy stuff low in sodium, low in fat, low in sugar, high in protein. Fruits, veggies, cottage cheese, etc. Marks & Spencer in the UK has some great chicken salads which are very healthy.
- I always pack cereal (usually Kashi or Vector) and oatmeal with me. Plain oatmeal, not the sugary kind. I always have this for breakfast and snacking.
- I bring meal replacement shakes.
- I always eat from the crew snacks fruit plate. I try to eat a lot of fruit, at least 1 banana and 1 apple per day.

That's a good system. I do the apple and banana a day as well in between meals. How much do you spend on food a month eating this way if you don't mind me asking?

[TopperHarley]

That's a good system. I do the apple and banana a day as well in between meals. How much do you spend on food a month eating this way if you don't mind me asking?

To be honest, I don't have any idea. I dont really keep track of my per diems and how much I spend as it varies from month to month. Sometimes going to a grocery store is just as expensive as going to a restaurant, but I sometimes prefer it for variety and health reasons. It all really depends on the country Im in and my schedule. It's pretty hard to get your dinner at a grocery store when you're in France, Athens or Italy when you've got so many awesome restaurants to choose from (can't really say NO to gellato or backlava ).

[flying4dollars]

That's a good system. I do the apple and banana a day as well in between meals. How much do you spend on food a month eating this way if you don't mind me asking?

To be honest, I don't have any idea. I dont really keep track of my per diems and how much I spend as it varies from month to month. Sometimes going to a grocery store is just as expensive as going to a restaurant, but I sometimes prefer it for variety and health reasons. It all really depends on the country Im in and my schedule. It's pretty hard to get your dinner at a grocery store when you're in France, Athens or Italy when you've got so many awesome restaurants to choose from (can't really say NO to gellato or backlava ).

Touche

I'm trying to cut my costs on food each month and I'm trying to stay away from eating crap, so I'm hoping to see what others are doing and then maybe I can pick at some ideas.

[CL-Skadoo!]

Me never ate a healthy meal while flying. Sure ate a lot of comissary. Like on of my co workers said: "Being a pilot is much like being a seagull; fly around...eat some garbage...take a nap...fly around...eat some more garbage."

I was in stitches...that's a beauty. Except, you left out squawk and shit. We do that too.

[~Hollywood~]

My main diet consists of whatever is being served at the Plaza Premium Lounge. Wish they had more variety.....

[JMACK]

http://www.havanna.com.ar/en-home.html


Try these little buggers keep you going all day. Find them in any duty free in SA.

I'm addicted!

[co-joe]

I can't take credit for the quote. Flying with Reece at Sunwest was like having a stand up comedian sitting next to you. He'd come up with stuff like that all day long.

The nutrition thing is greatly complicated by going Gluten Free. Cross Tim Hortons and 90% of airport/airline food off the menu. Of course none of that is good for you anyway. You're pretty much left with salads and fruit. You really have to plan ahead and usually end up falling off the front of the wagon and getting run over by it...

[laticsdave]

`On the JOB`....surprised there aren`t more fish tacos on the list!!!!!!!

Sorry, just had to!!

[oldtimer]

Bad food and poor eating habits is the bane of all pro pilots.
If you have access to a micowave, various frozen entries are available in the frozen food section of grocery stores. Nuke them for a couple of minutes and you have a hot meal. I lived on these suckers for a few years and they are quite tasty, cost effective and reasonably healthy. Just read the lables carefully. Lots of Italian cuisine.
But for a daily ration of fruit, I go to Tim Hortens for an apple,,,,,,,,,fritter. Well! it has apple in it!!
If you have access to wheels, stay away from truck stops. The only thing they have going for them is a parking lot big enough to park a truck in.
Poor food cooked by a poorly trained cook can be made palatable to most people by boiling it in oil.
Deep frying hides poor quality and that is what attracts truckers.
I would be willing to accept a (very) small cut in wages if it meant I was able to eat good food in a proper restaraunt at proper meal time.
Clogged artieries caused by cloesteral almost did me in. Had to have 3 stents to open clogs.

[trey kule]

OK, I have never been one to look at the health side of what I eat...the prime sea gull, except I am more of a raven type. and being in my 60s with no health problems it seems to have worked out OK so far.
But there is a huge, huge marketing machine out there convincing us all to eat healthy.. Granola bars that are 20% sugar...I see them munched down all the time. Diet drinks...because they dont contain sugar. and of course, fat free, because fatty food translates to fat in your body..at least that is what the marketers would like us to believe.
The good people that changed thirsty to dehydrated, and changed a $2.00 water bottle to a name brand ,$20.00 rehydration unit love the be healthy crowd. They make so much more money on light beer and bottled water.
From what I have seen from many of the younger generation is they have really no idea what is good for them or not.. They believe what the marketing folks tell them...shakes...in the morning? Well, yeah I have had them, but it was from to much booze the night before...Drinking one with green stuff in it does not make it healthy. Green stuff comes out of your nose when you are sick, not into your mouth when you are well.
companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure you do not use common sense and buy their product instead. No butter...eat margarine...Light beer is better because they make more money on it, and know that 95% of beer drinkers could not tell the difference between horse piss and the beer they are drinking...Put a piece of fruit in it and you can get premium dollars from the cool crowd.
Nothing like a super healthy chicken salad with a cup of mayonese in it.....mmmmmm. healthy.

Use common sense people...Kraft dinner is the choice for real pilots. good hot and cold.

[av8ts]

Hey trey kule you are so wrong

KD is horrible cold,but for those pilots that like to workout alot if you add weiners it really ups the protein level.

[frog]

Food inc.

[oldtimer]

My wife more or less controls my diet because she studies what is good and what is smoke up your butt.
A healthy meal is basically moderation. Salt is good but too much is not good.
Go to the web site for your favorite eating place and look at the dietery information they are required to divulge and remember it is the marketing people, not a dietition who make the list of ingredients.
There are more health benefits to beer than harmful. But in moderation. One bottle of beer everyday is good, one 6 pack a day is not.
The French eat what the experts say is not a heart healthy diet yet the incidents of heart problems is very low because they claim water is for washing, wine (red wine, not white) is for drinking. Again 1 or 2 glasses at mealtime, not the whole bottle. If you want to pig out, pig out on fresh fruit or veggies. I love to chomp on a fresh carrot or eat a piece of turnip raw. Fresh fruit and veggies travel well for those who brown bag it.
Like trey kule says, the marketing machine is out there to sell their products regardless of the lack of benefits.

[dominusanopheles]

Check this guy out... http://www.youtube.com/user/maxewiii#p/u/88/NH6F4A8C2tk

I am working towards these tips he provides! This guy is in amazing shape and a Captain for Jet Blue.

http://www.maxwettstein.com/Max%27s%20Bio.htm

[flyinhigh]

Subway. Healthy eating plus they got cookies.

On the road I pretty much live here

[Sheila]

Not everything at Subway is healthy like white bread subs and all meat subs. I think turkey and roast beef ok. That's what you eat for high performance? What is your favorite? I like olives on mine. I'm just hungry right now I could go for one.

[Bent wrench]

What ever I can grab off the shelf as quick as possible at the gas station on the way to work in the morning.....usually washed down with an energy drink lol

[Sparrow FOOF]

Being a pilot is much like being a seagull; fly around...eat some garbage...take a nap...fly around...eat some more garbage."

Absolutely priceless!!!

Thanks for posting this, something useful in my head got deleted to make room for this quote!