My 15 Favorite Foods for a 12-hour Shift
Y’all it’s pandemic eatin’ time. While some of you are still getting no-contact delivery or curbside delivery, I’m trying to capitalize on all the groceries we bought and the meal/snack plan I made with bae.
I’m not going to focus on what' I’ve been eating at home, because I really want to give you ideas for when you’re on a long-ass shift. My number one focus when planning work food is that I don’t want to have to touch it with my hands. Even though I wash my hands before I eat, I still like to take all precautions.
I’m going to include a few things that require using your dirty paws, but I have no problem putting on a clean exam glove to eat some Cheetos. I definitely don’t lick my fingers when I’m done.
I also try to avoid things that require a lot of assembly or parts. I used to bring tacos to assemble in the lunchroom, cold and hot ingredients packed separately in little containers. It was precious. These day’s I’d rather eat more efficiently and use the saved time to stretch or be in a silent room for 5 minutes before going back to work.
I also drink a lot of beverages at work, primarily water, but you’ll see some others.
Lastly, before we dig into the list, I’m a grazer. Like a cow, I’m slowly munching all shift long. Big entrees make me feel full and sluggish, so I like little things that I can eat quickly and without much fuss. Even if it’s a shift that doesn’t permit a real lunch break, I don’t feel like I’m starving my body.
So in no particular order, here are things you will often find in my bag in some combination.
Adrianne’s Favorite Work Foods/Snacks
1. Tangy coleslaw: I’ve tried a lot of coleslaw recipes and I’m going to leave links to my two favorites. Both have been transferred to post-it notes and hung inside my kitchen cabinet for easy reference.
2. Iced coffee: There’s no wrong way to drink coffee. For me, it includes making cold brew concentrate with local beans and then drinking it with a shot of my favorite coconut creamer over ice. I rarely drink coffee on my first consecutive night shift. If I do, it’s just anxiety fuel. But it’s a welcome friend on a second or third 12-hour shift.
3. Chocolate soy milk (or alt milk of your choice): This beverage has a very specific purpose for me - to fight off hunger pangs. This may be at 2330 when I’m still busy AF but need to stifle the growl in my belly, or at 0615 when I don’t want to eat before I go home to bed, but I want something to make me feel full and happy.
4. String cheese and Turkey Jerky - together: I cut my turkey sticks and cheese sticks into bite-sized pieces that I can eat with a fork or a toothpick. I love both snacks because they satisfy my salty cravings and give me a tiny little protein kick.
5. Cottage cheese (I’m a small curd girl): I like the high-fat, small curd over the skim or large curds. You do you, though. I also prefer savory mix-ins like chives and coarse black pepper, but if fruit is your thing, then make yourself happy. I don’t eat a lot of this, but a few spoonfuls at work can keep me from getting hangry.
6. Lettuce-free salads: I like to do salads that are based with something heartier than lettuce, like kale, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, or a combo of the three. If you prep and mix ‘em right they can be quite tasty and don’t sog out when covered in dressing. If you have to run to a code mid-lunch, it’ll still be crispy when you get back.
I like to make my own salad dressings. In fact, now that I’ve nailed down my three favorite combos, I don’t even like commercial dressings anymore. I’m not a food snob, I just like my flavors better.
I have a go-to Italian vinaigrette, an Asian sesame ginger one, and a creamy Italian with some mustard for a kick. Hit up Pinterest if you want some dressing ideas - there are endless possibilities.
7. Veggies and dip: This is the choose-your-own-adventure of snacks. Prep in advance of your shifts. Cut up bite-sized pieces of your fav veggies and throw them in a container. Pair it with something fun like hummus, dill dip, or my favorite, ginger miso dressing. This green bean and cuke salad from Bon Apetit rocks my world.
8. DIY trail mix: Trail mix is one of those fun things that changes all the time in my kitchen. We have a rotation of trail-mix-worthy ingredients that are usually in the pantry ready to be thrown together in a mason jar at a moment’s notice. Common components include but are not limited to: nuts, raisins, dried fruits, coconut, M&Ms, corn Chex, pretzel sticks, and granola clusters. I’m sure there are other tasty bits and bobs that could go in the jar, so get creative. Just stay away from candy corn. That stuff ain’t right.
9. Charcuterie skewers: Ok, this is getting a little fancy, but this makes my heart happy. I often will take some Italian salami, cubed cheese, olives, canned artichokes, or any other antipasti elements I have on hand. Go all hors d'oeuvres overachiever and put a piece of each on a toothpick for evenly balanced bites later on. Bonus for using toothpicks, you don’t have to touch the food to eat it.
10. PB&J: It’s a classic for a reason. It also has many varieties to keep this option from getting boring. I am a fan of thick, hearty multigrain bread, the crunchiest of crunchy peanut butter, Concord grape jelly, and a touch of Nutella. If I’ve got a few minutes on shift, I’ll add banana slices right before I eat it.
11. CuppaNoodles: I’ve started keeping those super cheap, salty brothed instant noodle cups in my locker. They’re perhaps the least healthy thing on this list, but they hit the spot sometimes. The cups are especially good on nights where I didn’t pack a good enough lunch, or it’s freezing on the unit and I just want a hot cup of broth.
12. Flavored Tuna packages: This one is not in my bag as often as the others, but I do enjoy a nice lemon pepper tuna or an herbed something-or-other that come in those little individual-sized cups. I like these because there’s no mess or stress like you’d have with a traditional can of tuna. And less mess equals less odor on the unit.
13. Bento Box: This is another anything-goes mix-and-match option for all the random leftovers in your fridge. Pinterest is a magical wonderland of ideas. I bought containers with 3-4 compartments for these handly little snack bars. These can contain some of the things listed above or you can do something totally different with these. I like throwing in small bites of leftovers, like roasted chicken chunks, pickled veggies, fruit, crackers, a small portion of rice or pasta, hard-boiled eggs, candy, and anything else you can fit in the box.
14. Overnight oats. This is one of my favorite pre-work meals in the wintertime. I’ll eat it in the summertime too, I just add a bit more rice milk so it’s drinkable when it’s cold. Overnight oats also leave you with a million combination choices. In my oatmeal, I like a little honey, flax, chia seed, a touch of cocoa powder, and vanilla rice milk. I make it the morning before a shift and stick it in the fridge while I sleep. It always satisfies my hunger and tastes like a dessert without being terrible for me.
15. Chia pudding. This one is new to me, and while some may find it odd, I wanted to put it on your radar. Pinterest comes through for us yet again with tons of options for how to do this. I keep it simple, with a little flourish of frozen berries I saved from this past summer’s farmer’s market. This is another healthy option that feels like dessert.
There we have it - my list of 15 favorite work foods for busy 12-hour shifts.
I like to rotate these out so that I don’t get tired of any of them, although numbers 3, 4, 11, and 13 appear in my lunch bag pretty regularly.
I try to prepare my lunch the night before because the less I have to do when I wake up, the better. Since I usually work two shifts in a row, I’ll make two night’s worth of food and take it all to work. Then I don’t have to lug my lunch bag home in between shifts.
I hope you find some inspiration on this list to jazz up your lunch bag and keep you away from the terrible, overpriced cafeteria food that you know you shouldn’t be eating anyway. If I opened up your lunch bag, what would I find?
