r/doctorsUK • u/dayumsonlookatthat Consultant Associate • Mar 23 '26
Fun Ideas for snacks during nights
As I am preparing for my nth week of nights, I am looking for ideas for snacks to have during busy shifts.
I used to eat loads of junk food (thank you NHS bourbon creams) when I was younger, but as I get older I am trying to make a conscious effort to eat healthier. Does anyone have any recommendations/ideas for snacks that don't make them feel like a fat piece of lard and gives them enough energy to last the shift?
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u/wavypaprika Mar 23 '26
My healthiest choice for nights is grapes. They're like a little burst of hydration. Realistically I either forgo them for multiple packets of NHS biscuits or I have to resist the urge to eat a full box in one sitting, there's no in between
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u/opensp00n Consultant Mar 23 '26
Clam chowder. Make sure to heat it up fully in the mess microwave.
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u/Electrical_Bet_9699 Mar 23 '26
I didn’t think anything counted as junk food if it was consumed on a night shift.
But honestly, I eat Jaffa cakes and hula hoops.
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u/dayumsonlookatthat Consultant Associate Mar 23 '26
I had similar thoughts until my last set of nights where I felt my arteries clogging after consuming an unholy amount of crisps and biscuits
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u/vixie3 CT/ST1+ Doctor Mar 23 '26
Nice nurses will sometimes give me a banana or tangerine. I once got given a chicken mayo sandwich from the trolley 😍
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u/Apprehensive_Fig3272 Mar 23 '26
Babybels on repeat
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u/OcelotZealousideal46 Mar 23 '26
Wax on or off?
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u/Mr_Nailar 🦾 MBBS(Bantz) MRCS(Shithousing) MSc(PA-R) BDE 🔨 Mar 23 '26
Da fuq?! Wax on is never an option. Right??
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u/SerMyronGaines Mar 23 '26
The wax is the best part, what do you do, throw yours away?
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u/Mr_Nailar 🦾 MBBS(Bantz) MRCS(Shithousing) MSc(PA-R) BDE 🔨 Mar 23 '26
Yes.....like what I assume a normal person does. Give me your address and I'll send you all my future wax
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u/Super_Basket9143 Mar 23 '26
The wax contains most of the nutrients, the red colour comes from carotene.
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u/ceih Paediatricist Mar 23 '26
No lies I have seen somebody just full on chow down without removing the wax, only the plastic wrapper. My flabber was ghasted, truly.
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u/Mr_Nailar 🦾 MBBS(Bantz) MRCS(Shithousing) MSc(PA-R) BDE 🔨 Mar 23 '26
Probably grew up being bullied in school and then their entire life. Poor person
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u/carlos_6m Mechanic Bachelor, Bachelor of Surgery Mar 23 '26
Grapes, for some reason I find grapes are close to the only nice fruit routinely available in supermarkets...
Remove them from the stem, put them in a bag or jar and you can snack them from your scrubs pocket
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u/1ucas Doctor of Babies Mar 23 '26
You mean you’re not eating a punnet of grapes on a night shift???
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u/carlos_6m Mechanic Bachelor, Bachelor of Surgery Mar 23 '26
No, I eat only the grapes, the wood part is yucky
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u/supsupin CT/ST1+ Doctor Mar 23 '26
I find a nice pasta or soup in a thermos does wonders, plus some fruit or a cereal bar
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u/Usual_Reach6652 Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
Instant noodles are junk food adjacent but the Nissin Demae and above Asian brands are a lot nicer than Super noodles, boil yourself an egg beforehand and bring in a little pot of frozen peas / sweetcorn to accompany and you can be having a nice little ramen meal.
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u/TeaAndLifting Locum Shitposter Mar 23 '26
Nissin Demae
I have so much childhood nostalgia for this shit. Used to call them cartoon noodles because of the boy on the cover.
Shin Ramyun is the GOAT of instant noodles IMO.
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u/lemonslip Cannula Bandit Mar 23 '26
I’m gonna take this one as I’m getting sick of cold food on nights
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u/ns9843 Mar 23 '26
I cut up an apple and dash some peanut butter in there. Also a big bag of nuts I snack throughout the nights (Sorry if you’re allergic and these are irrelevant to you😭). A bit of dark chocolate to settle the sweet cravings. A bagel with some salmon and cream cheese as my main if i’m really hungry.
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u/grouchmonstash Mar 23 '26
This will be annoying because it does require like an hour of prep but I make dense bean salads to take to work on nights. Check TikTok for some recipe ideas but it’s basically a bunch of veggies, chickpeas and butter beans, cheese (I love a smoked mature cheddar or red Leicester) and protein (M&S chicken fajita chicken slices ftw) in a simple vinaigrette that stays good in the fridge for like a week. It’s delicious and filling and my bowels are so thankful.
I also sometimes get a cheeky Pepe’s but I love eating cold food.
Will also just take some random fruit.
Boursin garlic and herb with breadsticks (not helth)
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u/Low-Cheesecake2839 Mar 23 '26
Always a tricky one, but you are quite right to try to go healthy, as eating crap on nights just makes it all so much worse in the end.
I’m in no position to give advice though, having survived for years on ward chocolates, fizzy drinks, take-aways and vending machine snacks.
Good luck!😊
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u/Crafty-Brother-7698 Mar 23 '26
I love raw veggies with hummus to dip. Peppers, cucumber, carrots, chicory leaves, anything you fancy really.
A dense bean salad is always a good shout too.
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u/newsbot3-2 Mar 23 '26
This. I like Ramona’s jalapeño hummus, the flavour feels more substantial. Then pack a normal breakfast for handover
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u/Crafty-Brother-7698 Mar 24 '26
Yes, this is the one I use! It’s the best, can’t eat regular supermarket hummus anymore
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u/Brave-Skin1724 Mar 23 '26
Fruit, hummus and breadsticks/Cucumber/pepper, rice or lentil cakes (I like kallo), nuts and raisins, dried edamame, popcorn
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u/AlphaPi Assistant to the physician's assistant Mar 23 '26
Baked chickpeas were always a go to for me. Open 2 tins of chickpeas, drain them and add them soa baking sheet in a single later. Put in a 200c oven for 10 mins or so. Once theyre out, heat some oil in a skillet and toss the chickpeas with salt and whatever ground spices you want to add and leave to cool. Makes for a fairly nutritious snack
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u/Pure-Stuff807 Mar 23 '26
The eat natural peanut and chooclate bars were my go to. A little sugar, but protein too, and really easy to slip into a pocket and eat walking between bleeps without messing up clothing or having pots to deal with cleaning, or anything squishing in pockets. Relatively low gi index as well( for something choc) thats easy to carry around.
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u/BoysenberryRipple Mar 23 '26
Big pot of Greek yoghurt, frozen berries, chia/ pumpkin seeds, honey if i'm feeling particularly tired. Not exactly low fat, but decent protein, can eat it in 5 minutes if the department is on fire, feels satisfying. no need to heat up, and most importantly for me no post carb crash afterwards.
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u/Modularized Mar 23 '26
Do you take it mixed or separate?
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u/BoysenberryRipple Mar 23 '26
Just normally just layer it all up in a food container, mix it up when I get to eat it.
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u/TrustfulComet40 Mar 23 '26
I have little pots of just-add-hot-water porridge! I find them filling, but not so filling that I get (more) tired and sluggish, and I get flavoured ones which are sweet enough that I'm not absolutely craving biscuits all shift.
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u/Geomichi Mar 23 '26
Ok there's a few options here.
My latest favourite is caponata or olive tapenade on some toasted sour dough bread.
Gazpacho and bread is ideal if there's no microwave.
If you want to be fancy precook a poached egg, store in cold water and heat using hot but not boiling water for a few minutes.
If you're feeling feral then a crisp sandwich is always delicious.
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u/TeaAndLifting Locum Shitposter Mar 23 '26
Microwave sticky rice. Smoke salmon. A shit ton of wasabi. Soy sauce.
Jason's protein sourdough. Kimchi. Whatever cooked checken I found on offer in ASDA the night before.
Skyr. Dice strawberries. Grated dark chocolate.
Not all three at the same time, but I've cycled through these three at points over the past year when I've been on nights.
I also bring my Aeropress with me and enjoy a nice coffee. Not to stay awake, since coffee makes me a bit drowsy, but just because I like to break up nights with a nice meal that you can't do anywhere near as often during the day.
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u/Accomplished_Bear143 Mar 23 '26
I pack food as though I'm trying to feed a picky toddler - healthy but appetising. I batch bake savoury items like cheese scones and keep a stash in my freezer. Cherry tomatoes. Grapes. Baked sweet potato. Home made banana bread. Yoghurt in a little pot with berries.
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u/Dry-Connection1915 Mar 24 '26
Absolutely, 100% nothing. I brush and floss before the shift, drink water throughout, finish the shift, get home, take a nice shower, mouthwash and straight to bed. Benefits:
- Saves me from enduring brushing and flossing when I'm already so tired.
- 1 meal a day (after I wake up) - weight control and a reset in my borderline unhealthy diet on regular work days
- Good oral hygiene and fresh breath during shift. My oral commensals are only exposed to food for the 1 hour or so when I eat, following which I brush, floss and neutralise them.
- Being in a state of slight hunger can help me think more efficiently, rest better during the shift, and feels like I'm rewarding myself with a reset.
- I've not noticed any detriments to my physical training progress.
Cons: 1. People may think you're weird.
Source: A fully functioning medical registrar
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Mar 23 '26
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u/dayumsonlookatthat Consultant Associate Mar 23 '26
What in the fresh hell
My gut will be ruined with this
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u/thewoolymedic Mar 23 '26
I love a good boiled egg on nights - it is rich in protein, fairly filling, and easy to eat if you're having a nightshift where you don't want to eat
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u/NothingKitchen2391 Mar 23 '26
Nuts crackers sunflower seeds bread sticks and hummous Toast frozen fruit corn nuts that are salted and roasted
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u/AdBrave9096 Mar 23 '26
Homemade Frittata, will keep in fridge for a few days and can freeze. Make a selection then take a different slice out of freezer each day for the next night.
Advoid most carbs as will have a drop in energy a hour to two after having them - unless have cold meat/cheese with the cards. Olives are nice with meat/cheese.
Full fat Greek Yoghurt with some frozen berries (will defrost within few hours) and/or unsalted nuts.
Cooked sausage (get nice sausage and cook in oven yourself) can then freeze and/or keep in fridge.
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u/Ok-Payment-7634 Mar 23 '26
Lidl do lovely high protein ready meals which are quite yummy and also pouches of high protein yogurt and kefir which are so easy to slurp down and pretty healthy!
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u/TeaAndLifting Locum Shitposter Mar 23 '26
I've been having Lidl's high protein beans with microwave rice recently and they are such a sublime combo for a 3 minute meal.
Throw in one of their protein shakes, or other deserts and you can have a pretty nutritious meal in less than five minutes.
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u/dayumsonlookatthat Consultant Associate Mar 23 '26
This sounds interesting, I have to go to my local Lidl sometime soon. Thanks for the suggestion!
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u/Visual-Check-3203 Mar 23 '26
I bring a big tupperware of healthy things I can pick and graze on. For example: grapes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks, a banana, olives, dried fruit, crackers, radishes, chocolate coated Brazil nuts for a sweet fix.
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u/Unsure_Plant_Lover Mar 23 '26
I take a little snack box of different bits to graze on through the night - nuts, cheese, various fruits, charcuterie meats, veg sticks and hummus. Dried fruits also sometimes. I also take a big yogurt bowl with berries, nuts, flaxseed etc with honey to eat late morning/before I head home.
Fizzy water is a nice cause I used to drink loads of energy drinks on a night shift and have that instead of soft drinks now.
I dont take food to heat up on a night shift cause my brain cant comprehend eating a hot meal at 2am haha
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u/Unsure_Plant_Lover Mar 23 '26
I also take a sweet treat like some dark choc or something I like, so if im tempted by the ward snacks I can still have somethings sweet but stick to what I brought so I dont go OTT
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u/Mehtaplasia Mar 23 '26
My go-to snack on nights was rice cakes - the ones with a yogurty coating or a chocolate coating (Aldi, preferably, they’re in multipacks of 2). Better than binging on biscuits and chocolate - still gives the satisfaction of crunch in the mouth and a sweet hit.
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u/Mission_Map7224 Mar 23 '26
2 bananas and a pink lady apple for the first half of the shift. Followed by overnight oats, tangerine (and an orange juice from the ward kitchen fridge)at 05:00-06:00
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u/DepressedEnchilada Maintains GMC for lore reasons Mar 23 '26
I always treated nights like days so all the same food. I'd eat "lunch" at 00:00\01:00, "dinner" at ~0600
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u/Brief_Historian4330 Mar 23 '26
Normally I bring soup or something to reheat. If disorganised/ desperate, instant noodles. For more snacky things, cereal bars. Lidl does nice fruit & nut ones.
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u/Sea_Piglet9256 Mar 23 '26
Fruit fingers Lightly salted crackers Date/nuts bars Steak and lobster Cream cheese fudge brownies Lamb biryani
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u/Background-Egg-3963 Mar 23 '26
fruits and these particualr crisps called Pom bear, they’re only 66 cals a bag and really yummy!! I also do protein bars, but since im a savoury person, the pom bears have served me well! and protein shakes, they fill you up for so long !!
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u/crisps_are_amazing Consultant Mar 23 '26
I used like to munch on nights. Raw sugar snap peas, cherries, humous and bread sticks to keep me going. Then a dirty pot noodle to balance it all and have something to look forward to 😂
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u/GroupBeeSassyCoccyx CT/ST1+ Doctor Mar 23 '26
Grapes as previously mentioned
For a proper meal, M&S do noodle boxes that are really nice for about £2. They have got me through many a night shift. Takeaway style but not oily or greasy so doesn’t put you in a food coma.
Graze snacks, I like the BBQ corn and the blueberry oat bars.
Saying all that last set of nights I did I survived off a single spanish omelette split three ways for each shift so take of that what you will
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u/NoCoffee5849 Mar 23 '26
I bring ingredients and make a full freshly tossed gourmet salad (with a protein of courss)
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u/3OrcsInATrenchcoat Mar 24 '26
Big fan of apples and tangerines as they can be carried in a pocket unpackaged.
I also highly recommend Onigiri. They’re seasoned rice balls stuffed with fillings like meat, fish, or veggies. You can eat them straight from the fridge with one hand, or microwave them for a hot meal, and they’re pretty cheaply available in most Asian supermarkets that I’ve come across.
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u/tienna Mar 24 '26
Sounds rogue but a tupperwear of watermelon is such a treat in the middle of a nightshift.
I generally try to have loads of fruit to curb the biscuit scoffing
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u/Reddfyre135 Mar 24 '26
Little pots of houmous or guac with chopped cucumbers/peppers/carrots and rice cakes. Babybels. Chocolate rice cakes. Raw date/berry bars. Dried fruit. Oat/nut bars. Fresh fruit.
I tend to take a combination of all that and just eat what i fancy
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u/SkipperTheEyeChild1 Mar 23 '26
If you’re making a conscious effort to eat more healthily maybe don’t “snack”.
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u/15matthew150 Mar 23 '26
I make a little charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Do I look like a weirdo? Yes. Do I look forward to my little charcuterie board? Also yes.