Nutritional Wellness

Resources for Medical Students

1. Government of Canada - Canada’s Food Guide

The foundation of healthy eating guidance in Canada. Includes recommendations on balanced diets (vegetables/fruits, whole grains, lean/plant protein, healthy fats), portioning, hydration, limiting processed foods, and mindful eating. Browse a large recipe collection, including recipes that take 30 minutes or less to optimize on time management.

Healthy Eating on a Budget

Particularly relevant tips for medical students:

• Build a meal plan and grocery list and sticking to it while shopping
• Shopping for sales and comparing prices between brands/generic products
• Buying bulk and freezing leftovers
• Stocking up on canned goods and freezable items when on sale
• Buying produce that is in season
• Choosing plant based proteins such as beans, lentils, and legumes
• Limiting highly processed foods
• Preparing foods at home and limiting eating out
• Setting a grocery budget

Healthy Eating on Campus

Student-centric strategies:

• Keep energy up with regular meals and healthy snacks like fruits and nuts
• Pack food with you to avoid consumption of fast food
• Bring a refillable water bottle for hydration
• Avoid overconsumption of alcohol, caffeine, or sugary drinks
• Some schools may have food banks and student support programs for students who need extra help, as well as access to dietitians

2. Dietitians of Canada

Unlockfood.ca

A reputable site with practical nutrition advice, label-reading help, tips for healthy meals, and more. There are specific resources for healthy eating during shift work, which can be beneficial for clerkship students working overnight.

3. Ontario Dietitians in Public Health

Meal Planning Guides

A 4-week recommended menu cycle compatible with Canada’s Food Guide.

4. Freezer Meal Ideas

DAL Student Life Suggestions

Recipes, More Recipes

Preparing meals in advance and storing them in your freezer can allow for efficient meal prep and improves access to healthy home-cooked breakfasts and lunches.

5. Hydration, Caffeine, and Energy Drinks

Staying hydrated supports concentration, mood, and physical performance, especially on long study days and busy clinical shifts. Caffeine can be a helpful tool, but when it replaces meals/sleep or stacks up through coffee + tea + energy drinks, it can worsen jitters, GI upset, headaches, and “crash” fatigue.

Quick caffeine guide:

Recommended maximum caffeine intake (adults 18+): ≤ 400 mg/day.

Energy drinks: In Canada, caffeinated energy drinks are regulated and can contain up to 180 mg caffeine per serving, with new cautionary labels.

Hydration + caffeine: what to do in real life

Pair caffeine with fluids: coffee/tea can contribute to fluid intake, but alternate with water if you’re noticing headaches or dry mouth.

Keep it predictable: aim for small, consistent sips through the day rather than “catching up” at night.

Use body cues: thirst, headache, fatigue, and darker urine can signal you may need more fluids.

Timing matters: consider limiting caffeine later in the day if sleep is being affected (sleep disruption can amplify next-day fatigue and cravings).

Energy drinks = not “hydration”: treat them as a high-caffeine product, not a substitute for water/food (especially if you’re also skipping meals)

6. Nutrition and Burnout

Burnout is multifactorial, but nutrition patterns can meaningfully shape daily energy, mood, and stress tolerance. Busy medical training often leads to irregular meals, under-fueling, and reliance on convenience foods and caffeine, especially around shift work and call.

“Burnout-buffering” nutrition habits:

Protect 2 anchors: try to keep any reliable breakfast option + any reliable meal later in the day (even if simple).

Prevent the crash: every 3-4 hours, aim for a small intake that includes protein + fibre (e.g., yogurt + fruit; hummus + crackers).

Caffeine as an add-on, not a replacement: caffeine without food can feel like “energy” but may worsen jitters, nausea, and a later crash.

Hydration as a workflow tool: a refillable bottle + “sip cues” (after each patient, after each page, after each lecture segment).

When you are depleted: the goal is often accessibility, not perfection, something is usually better than nothing.

There is growing discussion that nutrition may support healthcare worker mental well-being and stress resilience, though it is not a standalone solution.

7. Clerkship and Shift-Work Nutrition

Shift work disrupts hunger cues, sleep timing, and meal routines, so planning for “good enough” options matters.

Dietitians of Canada: shift-work basics

• Eat your main meal a few hours before work, then use smaller meals + snacks during the shift.
• Have a light snack before bed if you are hungry (helps avoid going to sleep overly full or overly hungry).
• Build an “on-call kit” (10 minutes to set up, saves you for weeks)
• A protein option + a fibre option + an easy carbohydrate + a “comfort” item
• Restock weekly (same time you do laundry or grocery ordering)

8. Packable Snacks and 5-Minute Meals

• No-fridge / shelf-stable
• Nuts/trail mix, roasted chickpeas, whole-grain crackers, peanut/almond butter packet
• Tuna/salmon pouches, canned beans/lentils, instant oats, granola/protein bars
• Electrolyte tabs, herbal tea bags
• Fridge-friendly
• Greek yogurt/drinkable yogurt, cheese strings, boiled eggs
• Fruit (bananas, apples, grapes), baby carrots/cucumber, hummus
• Leftovers in a microwave-safe container

5-minute meal templates

Wrap: hummus + bagged salad + rotisserie chicken/tofu

Microwave bowl: microwavable rice + frozen veg + canned beans + salsa

Overnight oats: oats + milk or milk alternative+ yogurt + frozen fruit

Fast soup upgrade: boxed soup + added frozen veg + lentils/beans

9. Navigating Hospital Cafeterias and Take-Out

You do not need a “perfect” meal on call, aim for the next-best option that you will actually eat.

Cafeteria strategy

Add, do not restrict: add a fruit, yogurt, salad, or veg side to whatever you are already choosing.

Choose water most of the time (especially if caffeine intake is already high).

If fried is what’s available: pair it with a fibre/protein side (salad, soup, chili) to improve satiety.

Take-out swaps that still feel like take-out

Choose baked/roasted/grilled when convenient

Add veg (side salad, extra toppings, veggie stir-fry add-on)

Watch sugar-sweetened drinks, easy win is water/sparkling water

10. Additional Resources

There are many other resources available through various search engines for easy affordable recipes, as well as AI resources can be utilized to make customized meal plans and recipe ideas based on dietary needs and preferences.

Grocery delivery services like Instacart may cost a little extra, but they can deliver groceries to your house if you are in a time crunch.

Some students who struggle with cooking have success using services like HelloFresh to get partially prepped ingredients and associated easy-to-follow recipes delivered to their house.