Guides › Diet › Night-shift worker
Nurses, security, warehouse, call centres
Diet plan for night-shift worker
Daily energy demand: Moderate (activity factor ×1.45 on resting energy).
Focus on
- Eat your main meal before the shift, not in the middle of the night.
- Small, light protein snack mid-shift; avoid heavy fried food between 2–5 am.
- Stop caffeine about 6 hours before you plan to sleep.
- Keep the same eating pattern on days off where you can.
Watch out for
- Vending machine snacks through the night.
- Using sugar to stay awake. It crashes.
Training: Train after waking, before the shift. 3 sessions a week; keep them under an hour.
Sample day
| Time | Meal | Vegetarian | Non-veg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:00 | Wake meal | Pongal or upma with vegetables, curd | Eggs, beans, wholemeal toast |
| 20:00 | Pre-shift main | Rice, sambar, vegetables, buttermilk | Rice, chicken curry, vegetables |
| 01:00 | Mid-shift snack | Fruit, yoghurt, nuts | Chicken or egg sandwich, fruit |
| 08:00 | Before sleep | Small bowl of milk with oats | Small bowl of milk with oats |
Other diet plans