How do shift workers manage their food intake ??

[TheThreeCheesesOfTheApocalypse44]

So today in working a 2 until 10pm.

Not a massively long day but I do struggle with pacing my food out. To complicate things I have gerd meaning if I don't get it right I get horrendous, room clearing, paint stripping gerd breath.

I also work a physically active job so don't like to eat too much in work as I end up feeling sick but obviously have to eat something. I try getting the bulk of my food out the way before I go to work then just have a small snack around 6.

So today I've had weetabix early this morning, around 11 I had a wholemeal pitta bread filled with one dry fried egg, some ham and a small amount of cheese. 1 packet of pombears and a handful of lettuce.

Around one I'll have some chicken and an apple or something. Not overly filling but enough to keep me going until 6.

I'll probably have a banana and some crackers on my break. Probably have a cup a soup too. Again I really can't eat loads. I also find because I'm constantly bending and lifting it makes acid production worse.

I'll get in around 10.30. I've already made a broccoli and potato bake thing which I'll have then stay up as late as I can so I'm not going to bed on a full stomach.

Does this sound OK? Having gerd complicates things massively and I'm never sure if I'm doing it the right way !

Feast or famine, my dh calls it. He’s emergency services so often doesn’t have a break. He doesn’t want to eat if he gets in at 4am. It’s very tricky. He reacts very poorly to certain foods, sometimes things he’s eaten before without issue, so he’s reluctant to eat much at work or his uniform shows the massive bloating. I can’t help, but I empathise. If I don’t eat at break (teacher, I’m very routine driven after 30 years!), I get very antsy.

I mean I think you eat when you’re hungry, but if it was me, I’d eat breakfast whenever I got up and got going (8-9am). Then lunch just before I left for work or on the way there, if say, you take the train, so 12-1:30pm ish.

Then when do you get your breaks? I assume you get a dinner break sometime between 5-7pm. I’d have a piece of fruit or some crackers and hummus or a few biscuits at whatever short break you get in the afternoon (4pm?) with coffee or tea. Then I’d eat my hot dinner at the big break (packed from home to be reheated), so 6pm ish? And if I was still hungry at 10:30pm, I’d maybe have some fruit or yoghurt or toast before bed.

I used to do shifts going from 7am-3pm to 3pm-11pm and I kept my mealtimes the same but changed quantity.

So on a late I'd have my main meal at lunch and then more of a lunch sized meal at dinner time on my break at work.

So a late shift would be something like:
Normal breakfast
Lunch 12-1pm - hot meal shepherds pie and veg, roast or whatever
Dinner 6pm-7pm - sandwich, crisps and fruit.

I wouldn't have another meal when I got home, i might have a snack during the later part of my shift.

I live on huel when I'm at work. Similar setup to the op. I'm too busy to remember to eat,but I can down a cup of huel. I make a breakfast/lunch/mid afternoon/evening drink - or whichever i need to cover the time I'm out. I make it up ea h day before I leave, one protien mixer cup per 'meal'. Lifechanging for me - steady energy and no sugar highs or lows really as previously I could go 14 hours easily without eating and my work performance was definitely affected.

Oh - I also stay well hydrated when I didn't before as my mixed cups are 900mls, and I use more liquid than needed so have 900mls liquid as part of every huel 'meal'. So much better.

What's Huel ? I've nit heard of that.

The main issue is because the jobs so physical I can't have actual meals no matter how hungry I get. I've tried and the bloating isn't worth it. ....it would be like having a meal before going to an aerobics session.