Snacks to Keep You Alert When Driving:
Everybody knows to look out for fatigue on a long route in your diesel truck. Oftentimes, what you eat contributes to your alertness on the road. Some snack options might surprise you with their high drowsiness factor. High Glycemic index foods are the main offenders on this list.
Glycemic Index:
The Glycemic Index rating system ranks food on a scale of 0 to 100.
GI Rating system: Low GI: 0-55, Medium GI: 56-69, High GI: 70 or greater.
High Glycemic Index (GI) Foods: Releases sugar into the bloodstream quickly, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar. Think: Food coma, drowsiness, weight gain. These are low fiber foods. It's easy to overeat these types of foods because they leave you feeling hungry and tired.
Low Glycemic Index (GI) Foods: Releases sugar into the bloodstream slowly and doesn’t cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. These foods will have you feeling steady energy and you will also feel full longer.
These are typically rich in fiber, protein and/or fat. Examples of these include apples with a glycemic index of 28 or Greek-style yogurt at 11.
Low GI doesn’t necessarily mean a food is high in nutrients. You will still need a balanced diet that is based on healthy foods from all food groups.
You might think you’re making decent food choices when you eat foods such as graham crackers, pretzels, vanilla wafers, bagels, instant oatmeal, or rice cakes. We could do worse, right? But let’s face it: we could also do better!
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Healthy Snack Options:
Take a look at the chart below to help you find healthier snack options that will help to keep you alert while on the road.
Here’s a Glycemic Index for 100 foods.
View this information as a useful guide for measuring how quickly the food you eat will be turned into glucose instead of promoting fad diets.
Originally Posted November 04, 2015; Edited February 14, 2020