Everyone here at CDL Life wants truck drivers to be health-conscious because it’s no secret that the transportation industry is experiencing problems with driver obesity and all the metabolic syndromes associated with extra weight. That doesn’t mean that truckers can’t have hearty meals that make the long haul bearable. Just a couple of adjustments here and there can make your in-cab meal hearty and heart-healthy too! Let’s get started.
Lighter Lasagna That’s Easy to Cook In the Cab
First things first – this is not a recommended meal for every other night of the week. Lasagna is a high calorie entree. If you’ve done your due diligence with your weekly exercise, we see no reason why you can’t enjoy an Italian treat full of nutrition from the Mediterranean diet like olive oil, healthy cheeses, stewed tomatoes and more. Just watch your portions while marking miles.
So, knowing that, here’s what you need to get started. CDL Life has some links to the food and appliances you’ll need, but if you already have these items, no worries! You’re ready to start watching the video below to cook a tasty in-cab Italian dish of delight.
You’ll need a 12 volt crock pot to cook the dish. There’s plenty out there to do the job, but we recommend the RoadPro 12 Volt Crockpot for this.
No Boil Lasagna Noodles. This should be a no-brainer for over-the-road truckers who have precious little supply of fresh water from the tap, and even less time to create a boil. These work wonderfully with the crock pot style of cooking.
You’ll also need ready-to-make egg whites. Egg whites are healthy substitutes for regular eggs that keep better on the road in any cooler or small refrigerator that fit in tractor trailer cabs. They can last for weeks. They’re naturally fat and cholesterol free, which make them the go-to healthy choice for truckers struggling with weight issues.
A jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce is important. We recommend the low-sodium variety that helps truckers keep their waistlines slim and their heart rates manageable. There are so many varieties of sauces that are tasty, but feature good qualities of ingredients and less harmful things like sugar, fats and oils. Read the labels, spend a little more and make the right choices!
You might be surprised to know that fresh, lump mozzarella cheese both tastes better and will help your body perform better because it has so much less artificial filling. When there’s less artificial filling, your body is able to process dairy much easier, which means you’re more comfortable in the cab while driving. So minimize the processed shredded cheeses and look for lump cheese blends when you hit WalMart or the grocery store.
Topping your dish off with some tasty condiments to enhance the flavors is something that’s so wonderful about Italian dishes. So while we love this three cheese blend offering from Kraft, we also understand that it’s the least important aspect of the dish for friends of ours who are watching their waistlines. Cheese toppings can add unnecessary calories, sodium and fat when it’s simply not needed if you cook the main dish with flavorful ingredients. So use sparingly.
The rest that you need to complete this tasty dish would be Part Skim Ricotta Cheese. If you run across any Wal-Mart Truck Stop on your travels, they offer a few different varieties that are great taste choices for any over the road meal.
So – with that out of the way, watch this video by our buddies at KeysTrucker’s YouTube Video Channel. They’ll guide you through a step-by-step tutorial for great lasagna you can cook in the tractor trailer cab. Just watch those portions!
Bon Appetite!
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