On a bit of a health kick, as the years of shoddy eating are taking their toll. Eating right at home is no problem, but at work I struggle a bit. I do 2 weeks out of every 5 on an oilrig, and the food there is not ideal. Lots of grease floating on top or salads made with lashings of mayonnaise.

What alternatives do I have? Are those protein shake things any good, or are they more geared to the weightlifting folks?

Cous cous (add hot water). Tinned mackerel or tuna.
Add some tinned pulses or beans.

Fat and grease isn’t necessarily bad for you. High GI carbs are worse.

A salad with mayonnaise on it is far better for you than a protein shake.

Hmmm. The issue is that there’s nowhere for me to prepare my own food.
I can can manage hot water, but that’s it.

As above + loads of green leafy veg. Vast amounts. Cress cabbage spinach kale parsley etc

Not expensive to buy but easy to grow as well

Edit: OK maybe not!

I’m going to stick my neck out and suggest that the food prepared hasn’t been done so with glycaemic index in mind. Think fish and chips, fried mince with peas and gravy, southern fried chicken, mince and skirlie, burgers, mince and onions, boiled Polish sausage, plain mince, fried liver, mince and dumplings, etc.

tuna and chickpea salad (dressing is olive oil & lemon juice, I also add a little balsemic).
Home made soups.
Humous & carrot/pepper sticks

Fat makes for low GI food.

Most of what you list up there is pretty low GI. If you want to be healthier, cut out the starchy parts, but keep the veg. So fish with no chips but extra peas.

I have a few tactics when I go offshore.

1 Go to the salad counter first and fill plate there then go to the hot food counter, less space left on the plate to have curry and fish and a sausage roll so you have to pick one.

2 Only have 1 cooked meal a day. Breakfast i normally go for muesli, lunch a bowl of soup and a sandwich and then a cooked meal for dinner.

3 only one desert a day, that includes ice cream. I don’t count fruit as a desert so generally go for that at lunch apart from Sundays.

4 only take enough cash for transport to and from the heliport – no money to spend in the bond.

I have this all to look forward to tomorrow.

Cous cous (add hot water). Tinned mackerel or tuna.
Add some tinned pulses or beans

+ some flavour/seasoning/herbs/spices maybe?

Sounds intolerable without

Tins of tuna and tins of mixed bean salads can be a good basis for a meal – just add some veg and some herbs/spices for variety and taste

Sounds like Rusty has the best plan for offshore eating. As far as the protein shakes are concerned, I’m currently using them as part of my weight loss strategy and I find them pretty useful so I’d say that they are not just for body builder types. I find them useful for controlling appetite rather than anything else so I tend to have one mid afternoon. My only question would be how to get the powders offshore without it becoming too much of a hasstle. Do they come in individual sachets as I suspect that that might be the best way.

To be honest I’d take no weight gain when offshore as a massive win!