Field Service Technician Snacks That Won’t Go Bad in the Heat or Cold

To keep your energy up throughout the long work day, you need to properly fuel your body.

No matter who you are or what kind of work you do, you’re beholden to a simple truth; you gotta eat. No field technician can work all day without putting something into their body for nutrients and energy. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best and worst snacks that technicians can eat while out in the field, examining the possible effects of that food on work performance and longterm health. 

Junk Foods and Drinks

To start, we will take a look at what some people call “immediate gratification snacks,” sustenance known to many parents and teachers as “junk food.” These snacks and drinks can provide an immediate boost to energy and wakefulness, but they can also have some not-so-great side effects.

For example, energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster can provide an immediate boost to energy and keep you awake through an astronomical amount of caffeine, but the feelings of exhaustion and lethargy that can come after (the “crash”) can make you regret the decision to indulge in the first place. In addition, longterm usage of highly caffeinated beverages can negatively intensify feelings of anxiety and stress, which in turn can negatively affect job performance and general wellbeing.

On a similar note, “junk” snacks such as Pop-Tarts, Oreos, fast food, and potato chips operate in the same fashion—immediate energy boosts followed by lethargy and bloating. In addition, these snacks can have longterm negative consequences, such as heart disease.

With all that said, these types of snacks and drinks are good in both the heat and the cold, and can last quite a while. In addition, their packaging makes them convenient choices to take with you on a day of field work. We recommend moderation here; sometimes you really do just need a quick boost. However, prolonged and frequent consumption of these items will cost you big in the long run.

Common Snacks and Drinks

Next, let’s take a look at some “standard” snack and drink options, such as granola bars, breakfast bars, energy bars, Gatorade, Powerade, coffee, and tea. These don’t necessarily provide the same immediate energy and wakefulness boost as the aforementioned “junk food” snacks and drinks, but once they kick in, their effects last a good while, and are healthier by comparison.

For example, coffee and tea can assist with providing energy and wakefulness due to the caffeine found in them, but the amount of caffeine in them pales in comparison to an energy drink such as Red Bull or Monster. Some of the same downsides still apply, albeit less intensive due to the lower amount of caffeine. These types of drinks are much cheaper to purchase than most of the “junk food” drinks we mentioned, thereby stretching out your snack dollars for more efficient spending.

Granola, breakfast, and energy bars are handy to have on the go in both the heat or the cold, as they usually come in a box with multiple, individually packaged components. This makes them easy to store, easy to access, and provides you with more energy in the long term than junk food snacks. 

Healthy Snacks and Drinks

Healthy snacks and drinks span a fairly wide range, but given a technician’s active and busy work environment, we will focus in on items like jerky, dried and fresh fruit, soup, trail mix, and homemade snacks and drinks. To start, all of these kinds of items (perhaps with the notable exception of fresh fruit), can be stored for a long time in both the heat or the cold, although we strongly recommend a solid cooler or lunchbox for certain snacks or drinks.

Healthy snacks yield the greatest amount of longterm energy, with very few (if any) adverse effects on health or exhaustion level (i.e. no “crashing”). In terms of healthy drinks, some examples include fruit smoothies, mineral water, and fruit juice (not the processed kind). Unfortunately, these healthy items can run a bit high in price. You do have some options here, including learning to make your own juices and shakes.

What should you choose?

While you can pick whatever option you desire, remember that you don’t have to commit to one specific path. A combination of common snacks, healthy snacks, and the occasional junk snack will give you options for any situation.

Need some inspiration for food on the go? Check out one of our Smart Servings recipes!