Macros for the modern trucker: Balancing your diet can be easy (and delicious!)

During my first year as an over-the-road driver, I gained 30 pounds. It wasn’t sudden. It crept up mile by mile — one fast-food burger at a time — until I realized my jeans didn’t fit and my energy was shot.

Turns out, I was part of a much bigger pattern. Most truck drivers fight the same uphill battle against weight gain and blood-sugar crashes. Between the sedentary hours, erratic sleep schedules and truck-stop food that’s far from healthy, it’s no shock that nearly 70% of truck drivers are classified as obese, according to a survey cited by the Centers for Disease Control.

Think about it: Every part of our lifestyle seems tailor-made to sabotage any health goals we may try to set for ourselves.

At the end of a long, brutal shift through rush hour and torrential rain — when we’re almost too exhausted to back properly into the last tight spot at a truck stop — a fast-food meal or that slice of pizza in the hot case look pretty good. Either option is a lot easier than trying to make something yourself (and more appealing than forcing yourself to eat another sad premade salad).

At times like these, trying to fight back against the increasing numbers on the bathroom scale seems like an unwinnable battle. But what if we started treating our bodies like part of our rig? Tracking our fuel, tuning our intake — and running on something better than caffeine and willpower?

I realized I had to prioritize the function and health of my body the same way I prioritize the function and safety of my truck. I never start a shift without doing a pre-trip. I never start a trip without checking the weather along the route. I always make sure to plan my fuel stops and DOT breaks.

So, why wasn’t I putting that same effort and care into my own body? I knew something needed to change.

That’s where macros come in.

If you’ve ever heard fitness folks talk about tracking macros and thought it sounded too complicated or too scientific, you’re not alone. But macros (short for macronutrients) are simply the three building blocks of everything you eat — protein, fat and carbohydrates.

Learning how to balance these macros is less about dieting and more about fueling your rig (the one with bones and blood instead of bolts and diesel).

• Protein is what keeps your muscles strong. It also curbs hunger and helps repair your body after long hours sitting still. If you’re still hungry an hour after eating breakfast, it’s probably because your meal didn’t contain enough protein to keep you feeling full and satiated.
• Fat has been vilified by diet culture in recent decades, but now folks are starting to realize that it’s not always bad — and certain facts are absolutely necessary for our bodies to function. Not only does fat serve as your long-term energy source, working with protein to help keep you feeling fuller longer, but it also plays a crucial role in regulating hormones and brain function.
• Carbohydrates are your quick, short-term energy source. They’re your body’s main source of fuel and energy, helping to maintain your blood sugar levels and keeping you from crashing when the caffeine wears off.

The good news is that we don’t have to give up everything we enjoy to eat healthy,. The trick isn’t to cut out entire food groups or swear off carbs forever. It’s about finding the mix that keeps you full, alert and steady through those 14-hour days.

Everyone’s individual nutritional requirements are a little different, and a doctor or registered dietician is the best person to give you numbers that are tailored specifically to you. However, there are plenty of macro calculators online that can at least get you into the ballpark. Once you’ve got those guidelines, you can start looking at how to hit those goals.

You don’t need to weigh every bite or count every crumb. Apps like MyFitnessPal, Carb Manager, Macros and others are designed to make tracking as simple as possible. You can scan barcodes, save meals and even plan ahead for those long hauls.

Look at the real goal.

The goal isn’t perfection; it’s awareness. Once you start noticing your eating patterns, it gets easier to make smarter choices.

At a fast-food restaurant, for instance, skip the bun and fries. Grab a double burger (no bun), add cheese and a ton of veggies — and you’ve got a filling, high-volume, high-protein meal. At truck stops, look for pre-cooked chicken or hard-boiled eggs, string cheese, avocado cups or mixed nuts to hit the macros without effort. And when you’re desperate, look for beef jerky or unsalted nuts. It’s not gourmet, but it beats that 1,200-calorie pizza.

These days, I treat my body like part of my pre-trip. I make sure I’m fueled right before I hit the road. I don’t ignore the warning signs anymore. Fatigue, heartburn, sugar crashes, cravings, gnawing hunger headaches — these should be just as concerning as the “check engine” light on your dash, and you’re worth the effort to fix it.

Planning can help you look forward to mealtime.

Once I started paying attention to my macros, I realized something surprising: Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean boring. You can hit your goals and still eat food that makes you actually look forward to mealtime. You can eat food that smells amazing, tastes indulgent and keeps you full for hours.

One of my absolute favorite comfort food recipes is my Buffalo Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake. Using pre-cooked bacon for convenience and frozen cauliflower for some added volume and fiber, it’s rich, flavorful and completely indulgent, Every bite feels like a cheat meal! But with about 600 calories and 63 grams of protein, it’s everything you need in a healthy, satisfying meal.

Added bonus? Making it couldn’t be simpler! Here’s how.

Buffalo Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake

Ingredients:

1/2 pound uncooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed

2 slices pre-cooked bacon, crumbled

2 tablespoons ranch dressing

2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot sauce

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup frozen cauliflower florets

Chopped green onions or chives (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a slow cooker (like a Crock-Pot), a pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot) or a Roadpro 12-volt stove. Then plug it in and go! I llike to garnish mine with crispy chopped green onions.

• In a Roadpro 12-volt Stove, you’ll want to cook for about an hour and a half.
• In a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker, lightly spray your insert and cook on High for 2 to 2 and a half hours.
• In an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, you’ll need to add one-quarter cup of water to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes on High Pressure, followed by a 5-minute natural pressure release to prevent drying out.

NOTE: Always make sure your chicken is thoroughly cooked. The internal temperature needs to be 165 degrees.

My truck runs better when I take care of it, and so does my body. You wouldn’t skip your truck’s maintenance check; don’t skip your own. You’re the engine that keeps it all moving!

Jen Wilson

Jen Wilson is a long-haul truck driver who’s spent the last five years rolling along America’s highways … and figuring out how to eat better every mile of the way. She believes good food on the road shouldn’t mean cold sandwiches or overpriced truck stop pizza. Her mission is simple: Show drivers how a handful of smart tricks — the right gear, a few basic spices and zero fancy fuss — can turn any truck cab into a tiny working kitchen.

When Jen’s not hauling freight, she’s testing practical, driver-friendly recipes right in her sleeper, proving you don’t need a house-sized kitchen to eat well, stay healthy and actually look forward to dinner.