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Breakfast: Three huge cups of coffee with cream and sugar, or three Diet Cokes, in the first part of your work shift.

Lunch: “What’s that? Who gets a lunch break around here?”

Mid-Afternoon Snack: Anything you can find in the nurse’s station: stale crackers, leftover banana bread that someone brought in last week or a sampling from the box of chocolates left as a gift for the nurses from a former patient.

Dinner: Hit the hospital cafeteria in such a ravenous state that the only thing that looks appealing is the station with the burgers and fries, and what the soft-serve machine is dishing out today.

Late-Night Snack: Finally back at home after a 12-hour shift, a late-night snack consists of whatever convenient food is kicking around the house, because shopping or cooking is really not appealing after such a long day.

Do elements of this day sound familiar to you? If so, you may struggle with chaotic eating patterns. As the dietitian at Green Mountain at Fox Run, I work with many nurses who are chaotic eaters. This pattern can involve skipping meals or having huge stretches of time between meals, which often leads to overeating. Or chaotic eating can involve frequently snacking on unbalanced snacks throughout the day, which can lead to frequent feelings of hunger and lots of food cravings. Neither of these patterns tends to yield positive results when it comes to health or weight management.

In this series, we’re tackling the problem of meal skipping. Each article in this series will provide a brown-bag lunch idea. Many of the ingredients used in these recipes can be prepared in advance to save time. For more information on pre-prepping or to learn more about chaotic eating, take a look at the first article in this series, 10 Signs of a Chaotic Eater—Are You One of Them? To access the previous recipes in this series, follow these links:

Spicy Rice & Bean Salad

Apricot-Turkey Salad with Whole Grains

Walnut-Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

1 Serving (For 4 Servings, Use These Amounts)

½ cup cooked pasta (try quinoa pasta or brown rice pasta) (2 cups pasta)

4 ounces cooked chicken breast, diced (1 pound cooked chicken)

1 packed cup of fresh baby spinach (4 cups spinach)

1 tablespoon capers, drained (¼ cup capers)

1 tablespoon diced onion (¼ cup onion)

½ cup diced red peppers (2 cups peppers)

3 tablespoons Walnut Basil Pesto (¾ cup Walnut Basil Pesto)

Directions for 1 or 4 servings:
Mix all ingredients and store in the refrigerator. The pesto can be made in advance and frozen in ice cube trays. For 1 serving, use 1½ cubes of pesto; for 4 servings, use 6 cubes of pesto.

Image: © Veer Incorporated

As the dietitian at Green Mountain at Fox Run, I work with many nurses who struggle with chaotic eating. Chaotic eating can involve skipping meals or having huge stretches of time between meals, which often leads to overeating. Or chaotic eating can involve frequently munching on unbalanced snacks throughout the day, which can lead to frequent feelings of hunger and lots of food cravings. Neither of these patterns tends to yield positive results when it comes to health or weight management.

In our “chaotic eaters” series, we’re tackling the problem of meal skipping. Nurses most commonly miss out on a serious lunch, as work demands get in the way of finding time to eat.  Shift workers can have an even tougher time getting that mid-shift meal as they may also have trouble finding food during the overnight shift. It’s less likely that the hospital caf is open at 2 or 3 a.m.

Each article in this series provides a brown-bag lunch idea. Many of the ingredients used in these recipes can be prepared in advance to save time. For more information on pre-prepping or to learn more about chaotic eating, take a look at the first article in this series, “10 Signs of a Chaotic Eater – Are You One of Them?”

Apricot-Turkey Salad with Whole Grains

1 Serving (For 4 Servings Use These Amounts)

½ cup cooked whole grains (2 cups grains)

(try quinoa, amaranth, hulled barley or millet)

4 oz. cooked turkey breast, diced (1 lb. turkey)

2 tbsp. diced celery (½ cup celery)

2 tbsp. diced red onion (½ cup onion)

¼ cup grated carrots (1 cup carrots)

2 tbsp. dried diced apricots (½ cup apricots)

2 tbsp. chopped toasted nuts (try walnuts or almonds) (½ cup nuts)

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce (4 cups romaine)

3 tbsp. Orange Vinaigrette* (¾ cup vinaigrette)

Directions for 1 serving: Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until lunchtime.

Directions for 4 servings: Mix all ingredients except dressing and lettuce. Stir 1 cup shredded lettuce and 3 tbsp. vinaigrette into 1½-cup portions as you need them.

* Orange Vinaigrette

½ cup orange juice

⅓ cup canola oil

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 pinch salt

1 pinch cayenne (optional)

Mix all ingredients in blender. Makes about 1 cup of vinaigrette.

Image: © Veer Incorporated

This series of recipes is meant to help busy nurses eat right…especially those who are notorious for skipping meals and then eating unhealthfully when they get a free moment.

And then, fifteen pounds later…

No, we’re not talking about YOU per se. But you may want to print this recipe out, just to avoid the fate of the chaotic eater.

Prep

First things first. Preparing some of the ingredients in advance and freezing them in individual servings will speed the process of putting these lunches together. Below is a list of things you can pre-prep or purchase for these recipes:

½ Cup Portions of:

Brown rice, quinoa, barley, millet or amaranth

Whole Grain Pastas: try brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat

Dried Beans: chickpea, black beans, pinto beans, edamame

All of the above can be pre-cooked then frozen in muffin tins (which are close to ½ cup). Once frozen, transferred these to a gallon-size freezer bag. What you don’t use for these recipes can easily be incorporated into a last minute dinner; microwaving for a few minutes, uncovered on a plate or in a bowl is all that is needed to re-heat these.

4 Ounce Portions of sliced, cooked, plain chicken breast

Keep on Hand: olives, capers, frozen spinach, craisins or dried cherries, salsa, pesto, shredded cheese, whole grain croutons, sliced almonds.

Consider buying or pre-prepping some vinaigrettes.

You can also try this Walnut Basil Pesto

Spicy Rice & Bean Salad – 1 Serving (For 4 servings, use these amounts):

½ cup cooked brown rice (2 cups rice)

½ cup cooked beans (suggestion: pinto or black) (2 cups beans)

1 pinch of cumin (1/2 teaspoon cumin)

1 pinch of chili powder (1/2 teaspoon chili powder)

¼ cup shredded cheese (suggestion: cheddar or pepper jack) (1 cup cheese)

½ of a jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (optional) (2 peppers)

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce (4 cups lettuce)

½ cup diced tomato (2 cups tomato)

¼ of a small white onion, diced fine (1 small onion)

2 tablespoons salsa (1/2 cup salsa)

2 tablespoons of sour cream (1/2 cup sour cream)

Directions For 1 Serving:

Mix all ingredients except for the salsa and sour cream; add these 2 condiments just before eating.

If using rice and beans that you cooked ahead of time and froze, you can pull 1 serving of each from the freezer the night before to defrost overnight before mixing up your salad, or you can defrost gently in the microwave before preparing this salad. You do not want the rice and beans hot, just defrosted enough to break up in order to stir into other ingredients.

Store refrigerated until ready to eat.

Directions for 4 Servings:

Follow mix all ingredients except salsa, sour cream, and lettuce and store in 4 separate containers for 4 lunches. Stir in 1 cup of shredded lettuce, 2 tablespoons of salsa, and 2 tablespoons sour cream into each portion, just before eating.

Next up in Recipes for Chaotic Eaters — Apricot-Turkey Salad with Whole Grains!

Image: Ryan McVay | Photodisc | Getty Images

It seems that all too often those who are in the field of health care spend so much time taking care of others, that we neglect our own needs.

As the dietitian at Green Mountain at Fox Run, I work with many nurses who struggle with chaotic eating. Below is a list of some common habits of chaotic eaters. See if any sound similar to your current eating patterns:

1. Work is my top priority during the day, eating is often put on the back burner.
2. Sometimes I will go all day without eating anything at work.
3. I often skip breakfast, most of the time it’s because I’m in a rush to get out of the house.
4. I grab snacks at work every time I see them because I’m never sure if I’ll get a chance to eat later.
5. I eat often, but seem to have tons of food cravings anyway.
6. When I get home for work, it’s been so long since my last meal that I only want very rich foods at that point.
7. There’s no food in my fridge, so I grab take-out frequently.
8. Sometimes I’m so busy I forget to eat.
9. I do most of my eating back at home after my work shift is over.
10. I sometimes find myself hungry, but don’t have anything available to eat and I have no time to find something to eat.

If you recognize many of these habits, you may be a chaotic eater. Chaotic eating can involve skipping meals or having huge stretches of time in between meals, which often leads to over eating. Or chaotic eating can involve frequently snacking on unbalanced snacks throughout the day, which can lead to frequent feelings of hunger and lots of food cravings. Neither of these patterns tend to yield positive results when it comes to health or weight management.

To tackle the problem of meal skipping, we will be posting a new recipe every two weeks that we hope will give you busy professionals out there a few ideas for quick and easy lunches. A common theme for these meals will be a balance of starches, protein-based foods, and low-starch vegetables, starting with Spicy Rice & Bean Salad.

Do you see clues that you, too, are a chaotic eater? How about some tips for combating chaotic eating? Share your thoughts below!

Image: © iStockphoto.com

Do you find it ironic that nurses, who are constantly in caregiver mode, are so likely to deprive themselves of self-care?

Specifically, when it comes to eating?

If you’re really good at taking care of others, sometimes it seems like there’s no time to care for yourself. If you find that buying, cooking or eating food is the last thing you have time to deal with, you may struggle with Chaotic Eating patterns.

As the dietitian at Green Mountain at Fox Run, I work with many nurses who are chaotic eaters. This pattern can involve skipping meals or having huge stretches of time between meals, which often leads to overeating. Or chaotic eating can involve frequent munching on unbalanced snacks throughout the day, which can lead to frequent feelings of hunger and lots of food cravings. Neither of these patterns tends to yield positive results when it comes to health or weight management.

In this series, we’re tackling the problem of meal skipping. Each article in this series will provide a brown-bag lunch idea. Many of the ingredients used in these recipes can be prepared in advance to save time. For more information on pre-prepping or to learn more about chaotic eating, check out the first article in this series called “10 Signs of a Chaotic Eater – Are You One of Them?”

To access the previous recipes in this series, follow these links:

Spicy Rice & Bean Salad
Apricot-Turkey Salad with Whole Grains
Walnut Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta & Veggie Salad

1 Serving (For 4 Servings, Use These Amounts)

Salad Ingredients:

1 cup cooked pasta (4 cups cooked pasta)

½ cup halved grape tomatoes (2 cups tomatoes)

2 tablespoons finely diced onion (½ cup onion)

½ cup small broccoli florets (2 cups broccoli)

½ cup cooked white beans (2 cups white beans)

⅓ cup diced fresh mozzarella (1⅓ cup mozzarella)

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (½ cup basil)

½ clove minced garlic (2 garlic cloves)

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

½ tablespoon red wine vinegar (2 tablespoons red wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon olive oil (¼ cup olive oil)

1 pinch dry mustard (⅛ teaspoon dry mustard)

For 1 or 4 servings, mix all the salad ingredients and set aside. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, then stir vinaigrette into the salad. Refrigerate until ready to eat. If you make the 4-serving recipe, 1 portion should be about 2½ cups.