Police Officer Meal Plan Guide for Police Wives | Police Officer Workout and Diet
From Eating on the Hood of a Patrol Car to Cooking Together as a Team: Meal Planning for First Responder and Military Families
Before we dive in: grab my free 3 Keys to Knowing He’s Got Your Back training so you can build Independent Daily Routines that make your week run smoothly and have your partner showing up as a true teammate at home.
When I once asked my husband where he usually eats on patrol and he told me, "We usually find a safe place to park and eat on top of the patrol car. I don't want to get my uniform dirty," it left me speechless. Whether your partner is in police, fire, or the military, meal planning on shift work isn't just about packing protein, carbs, and healthy fats for his shift. It is about building Independent Daily Routines (like planning on the same Sunday every week no matter how often his schedule changes) and using Assertive Trauma Informed Communication so you don't end up feeling like a single mom who is married doing all the cooking and dishes alone.
In fact, on our family camping trip to Big Sur, my husband did all the cooking while I sat in a rocking chair reading a book, which was a complete 180 from ten years ago. Here is that patrol-car conversation that started it all, along with my weekly meal prep routine and favorite high-protein recipe.
I remember asking my husband a simple question once, “where do you usually eat when you’re on patrol”?
He responded, “We usually find a safe place to park and eat on top of the patrol car. I don’t want to get my uniform dirty.”
He left me speechless that day.
Our officers sacrifice a lot. They work long hours and even have to worry about finding a safe place to eat. My officer cares about staying physically fit for his work.
I have found pride in caring for my husband and children as a homemaker. We are blessed to provide for our families by meal planning and cooking.
Below, I share with you my police officer meal plan tips as a police wife of 10 years. Don’t forget to check out my productivity hacks for police wives blog, such as grocery delivery.
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The Police Officer Workout and Diet
My police officer husband does both CrossFit and BJJ, or Brazilian Jiujitsu. CrossFit helps him stay strong for lifting, running, and other necessary part of his job. BJJ helps him to be able to wrestle if needed. My husband chooses to workout at specific gyms that aren’t necessarily close to our home. It took me time to realize just why he went to these specific gyms. When I visited both of them at different times, I realized that both of the instructors and gym owners shared common values with my officer, such as support for law enforcement, and both places were very supportive environments. Instructors met the people working out where they were physically.
For the police officer diet, think macronutrients. Protein, carbs, and fat. Our officers need a lot of protein for muscle growth and sustaining muscle, carbs for energy, and enough fat to keep their warm on cold nights. When you plan and pack meals for them, think of these three critical macros: protein, carbs, and fats. Healthy examples of a meal that includes all three are: 1) Chicken (protein) quesadilla with avocado (healthy fat) on a whole wheat tortilla (carb) and 2) Cashew (healthy fat) tofu (protein) stir fry with broccoli and brown rice (carb). I include each macronutrient in my meals.
My husband drinks protein shakes daily. I love Muscle Milk Chocolate protein shakes.
Police Officer Workout and Diet
The police officer workout and diet must go together. Remember that our police officers’ fitness nutrition may need electrolyte recovery drinks for police officer post-workout and/or protein drinks to help them recover from workouts and build muscle after working out. My police husband loves Jocko’s made in the USA protein shakes. Our bodies rebuild our muscles after we do strength training workouts, such as CrossFit, MMA, and/or BJJ. Include these on your grocery lists to supplement meals.
Did you know that Adopt a Cop BJJ will reimburse $50/month worth of gym fees for police officers that use jiujitsu gym for their workouts? My husband received this service for one year, and it’s so amazing!
Meal Planning for Police Officer Muscle Growth
My meal planning process
I have always done my meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal prepping weekly. Check out more in my productivity hacks blog for police wives. I do it on the same day each week, Sunday. I do this no matter what my police officer husband’s schedule looks like. Even though my husband’s schedule changes sometimes every 4 weeks the stability I create for myself to meal plan the same day each week helps me to actually get it done.
I typically prepare my husband 4 “hot” meals each week and make him a sandwich as a 2nd meal for each workday in addition to snacks.
I love the Adaptable Feast cookbook, which has amazing recipes for vegetarian and omnivores. I’m a vegetarian and my husband loves meat, so this cookbook is so perfect for us.
I plan my dinner meals for the week using a whiteboard calendar. I either do drive-up or grocery delivery. I meal prep and hot meals at the same time that I make our Sunday dinners. I typically just double of Sunday dinner recipe. I make the sandwich the night before his shift. I always meal prep all “lunches” for my husband, our children, and myself the night before so I’m not rushing in the morning the next day.
What do my police officer’s lunches look like that I pack him?
1 “hot meal-prepped meal” with a protein, carbs, and healthy fat such as a cashew chicken stir fry with broccoli and rice
1 sandwich-usually roast beef, chicken, and cheese on toasted bread
2 healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, whole wheat crackers, or yogurt parfaits.
1 treat like cookies or candy
Meal Idea #1 for Police Officer Muscle Growth
Here is an example of a quick, balanced meal for police families.
Injured on Duty Local Beef Stew with Rice
Also known as Hawaiian Beef Stew, this recipe was made by my grandmother in Hawaii for my mom and her four siblings on the Big Island. Stew is often a comfort food perfect for a healing, cozy evening at home. I love that this stew includes meat and vegetables for a balanced meal. This stew is often paired with sticky white rice due to Asian influence. To make this meal a bit healthier, I use brown rice.
Ingredients
1-2 lbs. beef stew
1 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons of flour
6 carrots (sliced)
6 potatoes (peeled & cut into chunks)
2 large onions (chopped)
¼ teaspoon of pepper
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (for meat version only)
Cooked brown rice
Instructions
Brown the stew meat in one pot. Drain. Cover the meat with water. Cover and simmer the meat for 1.5 hours. If making the meat stew, add all ingredients into the pot. If making a vegetarian version, separate ½ or ¼ of the vegetables into a different pot depending on how many people in the household are vegetarian. Cover both pots of ingredients with water. Cover and simmer the stew for 30 minutes. I love adding a can of sweet corn into my chili as well as adding a dollop of sour cream on top to serve. Spread over a bed of brown rice. Enjoy!
Picture this:
Your Sunday meal planning, whiteboard calendar, and grocery delivery run like clockwork as part of your Independent Daily Routines, no matter how often his shift schedule changes.
Your mornings are calm because lunches for you, your kids, and his patrol shift are already prepped the night before.
When you want him to take over dinner, BBQ on his day off, or wash the dishes, you use Assertive Trauma Informed Communication and Gentle Observation so he gladly steps in without an argument.
Even on family vacations, he is cooking dinner while you relax and read a book, because you are truly on the same team.
You enjoy cozy dinners and Consistent Quality Time Together as a police, fire, or military family instead of feeling like you are carrying the entire household alone.
Ready to stop carrying the household load alone and feel like true teammates? Start with my free 3 Keys to Knowing He’s Got Your Back training.