I refuse to spend a ton of money or time on food that I’m going to scarf down in 0.2 seconds while on shift in a busy ER! Nurses know that our minimal time off the floor is precious, and that we don’t have time enjoy a gourmet meal. I aim for a goal of cheap, clean and quick food that meets my nutritional needs for a 12 hour shift!
View the reel on Instagram here!
Meal prep for me needs to be CHEAP + CLEAN + QUICK, and this particular day of eating was just that! Minimal cooking time and affordable kitchen staples. In this blog post, I’ll share an example 12-hour shift of food intake along with other cheap, clean, and quick meal ideas that fit into your busy shift. You’ll also learn how I space out my meals, so that I’m keeping my energy fire burning all day!
Noon – Midnight Shift | What I Eat in 12-Hours
11 AM (at home) | Whey Protein Shake post-workout
2 PM | 2 Hard Boiled eggs, a dollop of cottage cheese, Dijon mustard (Tastes like egg salad, without all the prep)
5 PM | Instant Coffee with my Premier Protein shake as creamer (I can already hear the coffee-snobs screaming! It’s caffeine, and it’s quick! Don’t judge me lol)
7 PM | Quick Chili Bowl: fat free refried beans, canned chicken breast, frozen fire-roasted corn (all shelf stable and affordable items, this took a minute to throw together!)
9 PM | Apple
11 PM | Costco Protein Bar (an almost identical and more affordable Quest Bar dupe)
12:30 AM | A bag of crunchy veggies like carrots/bell peppers/cherry tomatoes to keep me awake on the drive home
*then usually a spoon(s) of unsweetened peanut butter before bed – because we all deserve a treat after a hard day’s work*
I love to have my freezer and my pantry stocked full with shelf stable snack and meal prep items for work. Time and time again, I am finding myself scrambling to throw together 2 to 3 shift’s worth of meals the night before a stretch of shifts, and not having time to run to the grocery store! Does this happen to you, too? Having the items listed below on hand, I can whip together several cheap, clean, and quick meals and snacks in no time!
You’ll notice that most of these meals and snacks are made up of shelf stable, pantry items, that are canned or frozen. I opt for these foods because they are affordable, and available in my kitchen for a quick meal prep at any given time.
I would rather save my fresh food, and fun recipes, for my days off when I can savor each bite, and enjoy the meal with my family!
Also take note of the timing of my meals and snacks. While I can’t always adhere to this schedule, depending on my patient care workload, I do try to space out my food intake about every 2 to 3 hours. I’m like a baby lol.
I find that eating every 2-3 hours, my energy level stays consistent throughout my shift, I have more compassion for my patients if I’m not hangry, and I’m less ravenous when I get home after a long night.
In addition to these meals and snacks, I aim for an overall water intake of 120 ounces per day. Usually I can get 30 ounces down in the morning before coming in for work. If not, I try to drink roughly 10 oz. per hour while at work. Setting a small, hourly, attainable goal helps me meet my overall 120 ounces daily!
Check out these other cheap, clean, quick snack and meal ideas below!
Let me know what you think about these cheap, clean, quick meal prep ideas! Drop a comment here on the blog, or connect with me on Instagram here.
Thank you for reading, I hope this has given you a little insight into the possibilities of a cheap, clean, and quick meal prep in a busy 12 hour shift! You can do this!
