I have fallen back into the trap, I have gotten lazy, I am feeding myself breakfast and lunch from service stations and snack wagons…
Sometimes up to a tenner a day on… rubbish basically. Thats a fair whack on your wages each week if you can bear to sit and think about it. I’d fail miserably if I was on nights out.
It’s a common thing, i’m not the only one, I have seen lots of you out there doing it. Personally for me the last thing I feel like doing with the limited spare time I have at home is preparing food for the following day/week.
But I am going to have to sort this out, as its complete false economy and the food is rubbish.
Was after some ideas from you lot, as to what you make yourself to eat to get you through the day, i’m not crazy about big preparation, so need easy things, high energy that actually give you a satisfied feeling so you aren’t tempted to pull over again, and splurge on rubbish.
Who has what for lunch? Do you find it enough?
Anyone else spend far too much on the side of the road?
Try “five a day” for a starter, apples, pears, grapes etc, bananas are always a good one, drink plenty of water, low fat fruit yoghurt, the odd bacon sandwich goes down well, make sure it’s grilled and try no butter on the bread. Like everything in life it’s all about moderation.
you made me laugh wildgoose - i’m in the same boat as you mate.
I’m a bit concerned with the cost of grub on the road myself.
I do either 2 or 3 nights out a week and have the usual “stand by” in me cab i.e. tinned/vacumm packed food if I end up in the middle of nowhere at the end of shift.
For mornings, two or three times a week i’ll heat up a tin of mackerel (normally @ 4 in the morning on my stove) with 2 or three rounds of bread. Failing that summat decidedley unhealthy from a food van - y’know the kind of thing - bacon, black puddin’ and mushrooms on a big mother of a butty!
My mssus normally makes a job lot of sandwiches on a sunday night (lucky as I am) but again, if not, services can burn a big wedge in the old sky rocket.
I’ve found that most nights out involve a trip to a pub or takeaway. Again, a quite costly thing to do when up to three times a week.
All in all in my experience a very costly affair. Not only that, a drivers diet is, in the main a crap one.
I’ve tried boiling a tin of soup up after a days graft but i’ve found it not enough. Us drivers need proper grub.
I reckon i’m spending about £25 a week on feeding myself in the cab - a few bob in truth…
up until a month ago it was mainly cigaretts and coffee, now since I quit smoking I can’t stop munching so I am surrendered by snacks and sweets and it definitly puts a dent on my bank balance
depends if you have a cooker but two of my easy favorites is
3 eggs
1 tin potatoes-unpeeled
pepperami type sausage
frying pan
oil
heat up pan, add oil, slice pots and put in pan, when little brown slice sausage and add to pan, beat eggs well, add to pan and cook till brown,
turn over. when brown serve with bread or bagged salad
pasta, twisted is best
tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin tuna
1 small tin sweetcorn(optional)
cheese
cook pasta as per instructions, drain and add toms, heat through, add sweetcorn,
take off heat and add drained tin of tuna(in oil is better)mix and break up lumps
serve with grated cheese or cubes
quick and easy, all in one pan which makes them all the better for me
Boil a big pot of pasta at home, or on a camping stove if out, put it in a load of those tupperwear containers and it’ll be good for a day (or two if refrigerated/on the top step)
Serve with grated cheese, bought pre-grated from a supermarket at about 45p a bag, pay 19p a bag for the pasta and you’re sorted for two good meals for less than 65p
I’m a big fan of quick fry stuff too. With a frying pan and a stove I’ll be kept happy for most meals. A big bit of chicken or steak is good. Always cook more than you need (fill the pan) and then bung the rest in a buttie for tomorrow.
Carry some of those shake on sauces/spices and you’ll get a good bit of food in under 5 minutes.
A big tin of smash is about £1, it’ll make enough mash for about 10-15 meals and it tastes foul.
HOWEVER, bung in a load of mustard powder at the boil stage, and hey presto it goes ruddy lovely with your steak or chicken.
Boil some up first thing in the morning, or at lunch, then stick it in the frying pan for 30 seconds let some cheese melt on top and slap it between two slices of bread - sorted!
Food doesn’t have to take ages to be good, if you are feeling healthy replace all bread and cheese with salad and red-onion. Job done!
As I’m only a day driver,I tend to frequent M&S at Moto services,and get a salmon and cucumber sandwich,a packet of cracked black pepper crisps,and sometimes a couple of small red leicester cheeses,and a bottle of lemon and lime water.
However,if I’m at a customer of the agency,that has a canteen which is subsidised,I’ll usually have the full english,and that usually does me until I get home.
I usually find that a couple of Weetabix before I leave home,keeps me going until either of the above.
1 tin potatoes (cook and drain)
1 tin steak & kidney/beef in beer/stewed steak ect (into same pan)
1 tin peas/carrots etc (drained and into same pan)
when cooked eat from the pan
this is one filling meal
just 1 pan and 1 fork to wash
I cook in the cab 3 nights and eat out once.
Usually have a ready meal which I sling in the Microwave and on my double burner stove I cook veg,which you can get in packs at the supermarket.
■■■■ grated cheese,I carry kitchen knives,grater,vegetable peeler,knives forks pots pans side plates and dinner plates.etc.
for breakfast either a bowl of cereal or toast which I do on the stove.got jam and marmite etc to put on it.
usually take bananas,grapes kiwis,got loads of tins,pasta,pasta sauce and quick rice for quick meals.
bread,big block of cheese,tomatoes,egg or 2 ,ham,butter and full fat milk
I rarely spend more than a tenner while im away,but then again what I do take still costs money too,but would’nt of thought more than £20-25 week,but thats total £30-35 a week.
still cheaper and slightly healthier than a tenner a day at snack wagons.and thats breakfast,lunch and dinner.
I usually knock up a big box of sandwiches the night before if I’m on a day run, and lying under the bunk in my wagon is an ample supply of tins of beans, soups, stewed steak and boxes of mash for when I’m on anight or 2 out, fridays however is the one time of the week when I treat myself to a bacon sarnie or full english
plus I always eat loads of fruit and drink plenty of water during the day rather than eating crap like crisps and choccy
I generally have a “belly buster” breakfast at a cafe somewhere. I then proceed to eat sweets, crisps and chocolate all day, followed by a kebab and a few pints at night.
hence me being vastly overweight at 17 stone… i cant understand it? must be in my genes?
on my stove) with 2 or three rounds of bread. Failing that summat decidedley unhealthy from a food van - y’know the kind of thing - bacon, black puddin’ and mushrooms on a big mother of a butty!
and on my double burner stove I cook veg,which you can get in packs at the supermarket.
