Eating vegan on shift work: fitting meals around the roster

On shifts, the hard part is the clock, not the food

On nights you eat breakfast at five in the afternoon. On days you eat lunch at two. And some evenings you finish at midnight, starving. Anyone eating vegan on shifts runs into this before they run into any question about what to eat: your mealtimes do not line up with anyone else's, and the places selling vegan food are not necessarily open when you need them. So the first job is not learning recipes. It is putting three meal points back in the right places around the shift.

Three meal points worth remembering

Before the shift

Eat enough, but not so much oil and fat that you are fighting sleep an hour in. One loaf with plenty of vegetables and tofu or vegan cold cut will hold you for four to five hours. For a longer shift, take one with more filling.

Mid-shift, on a short break

Not everyone gets thirty minutes to sit down and eat properly. What you want here is something you can hold in one hand, eat quickly and not spill. A banh mi that is already made up is more practical than a rice box you have to sit down and work through.

After the shift

Getting home from a night shift at eleven or midnight, you are hungry, but a heavy meal at that hour will cost you sleep. Keep the portion moderate, go easy on the oil, and have a warm tea rather than coffee.

Choosing a loaf by the hour and the appetite

There is nothing to cook here — only the question of what suits the hour.

• Bơ Đường at 28,000d: light, good early in the morning or as something small to get you through the middle of a shift.
• Chả Lát Chay at 53,000d: filling and easy to eat, good at lunch or in the late afternoon before a night shift.
• Đậu Hũ Cay at 56,000d: the chilli helps keep you alert, which is useful at the point in a shift where you would otherwise be drifting.
• Thập Cẩm at 59,000d: full and long-lasting, for a long shift with no second break to eat in.
• Thượng Hạng Premium at 75,000d: the big one, for the day you know you will be properly hungry and want to eat once for the whole shift.

What to drink to stay sharp without upsetting your stomach

Night shifts and early starts both need a lift, but drinking coffee right through is not the way to get it.

• Black Coffee at 35,000d or Nut Milk Coffee at 45,000d: for the start of the shift, when you need to concentrate.
• Jasmine Lemon Tea at 36,000d: gentle, good mid-shift or when your eyes are tired from a screen.
• Nut Milk Bubble Tea at 45,000d or the Brown Sugar version at 48,000d: for the end of the shift, when you want something sweet before heading home.

You do not need all of them in one day. One drink that fits your hours is enough.

Ordering ahead for the whole shift

Banh Mi XANH is open 24 hours, so a night shift or a dawn start is not a problem. Call 0923.183.183 or order through the delivery page; the shops deliver, free on orders from 500,000d within 5km. The five shops are at 38 Lê Thị Riêng, 15B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, 2B Trần Hưng Đạo and 148B Đề Thám in District 1, and 210 Bùi Văn Ba in District 7 — call in at whichever is near your work, or have it delivered to the workplace.

A few things that make it less of a chore

If your shifts are fixed, order at the same time each day: the food arrives on schedule and you stop having to decide. If your shifts move around, call twenty to thirty minutes ahead so the shop has it ready and you are not waiting through a short break.

Quick questions

When should I eat if I am on nights?

About an hour before the shift starts, so you have something to work on, with something small mid-shift if you get hungry. Avoid eating a large meal right before you go to sleep after finishing.

Will you deliver to a workplace in the middle of the night?

Yes — the shops are open 24 hours, so any hour works. Call 0923.183.183 to order and to ask about the delivery time.

Is a vegan meal enough for a shift, or do I need rice as well?

A full loaf such as Thập Cẩm or Thượng Hạng Premium is enough for a long shift. For a shorter one, something lighter like Chả Lát Chay or Bơ Đường is about right.

How much do I need to order for free delivery?

From 500,000d, within 5km. That applies at all five shops.

I am new to eating vegan and I work shifts. Where do I start?

Replace one meal you already eat with a vegan banh mi that fits your shift, rather than changing the whole week at once. Add drinks and other dishes once that part feels normal.

Does vegan coffee affect a night shift differently?

Black Coffee and Nut Milk Coffee wake you up the same way any coffee does; there is nothing particular to watch for. Just avoid drinking it close to the end of the shift if you want to sleep afterwards.