Night Shift

12 Hour Night Shift Meal Plan

By Our Nutrition Team | Oct 2, 2026

For a 7 pm to 7 am shift. The main meal is before clock-in. The break gets a real meal. The plate after work stays small so you can sleep.

Sample 7-Day Night Shift Menu

Times assume a 7 pm–7 am shift. Move the same order if your clock-in is different.

Days	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Meals	Pre-shift: Chicken and Rice Mid-shift: Turkey Sandwich Snack: Yogurt and Berries After-shift: Eggs and Toast	Pre-shift: Salmon and Potato Mid-shift: Chicken Wrap Snack: Apple and Cheese After-shift: Small Oatmeal	Pre-shift: Beef and Pasta Mid-shift: Tuna Rice Bowl Snack: Cottage Cheese After-shift: Yogurt and Fruit	Pre-shift: Chicken Stir-Fry Mid-shift: Turkey Pita Snack: Peanut Butter Crackers After-shift: Protein Smoothie	Pre-shift: Shrimp and Rice Mid-shift: Egg Salad Sandwich Snack: Milk and a Banana After-shift: Cottage Cheese Toast	Pre-shift: Turkey Chili Mid-shift: Chicken Salad Snack: Yogurt After-shift: Egg and Avocado Toast	Pre-shift: Salmon and Pasta Mid-shift: Bean Burrito Snack: Cheese and Apple After-shift: Oats and Berries
Daily Totals	Calories: 1,560 Protein: 108g Carbs: 137g Fat: 50g	Calories: 1,540 Protein: 92g Carbs: 146g Fat: 52g	Calories: 1,460 Protein: 102g Carbs: 140g Fat: 44g	Calories: 1,530 Protein: 95g Carbs: 150g Fat: 52g	Calories: 1,460 Protein: 80g Carbs: 154g Fat: 48g	Calories: 1,570 Protein: 104g Carbs: 112g Fat: 64g	Calories: 1,600 Protein: 84g Carbs: 172g Fat: 54g

Day 1

1,560 calories · 108g protein · 137g carbs · 50g fat

Pre-shift (620 calories)

Chicken and Rice

Eat around 5 pm. Grilled chicken, rice, and a large salad.

Mid-shift (480 calories)

Turkey Sandwich

Midnight break. Turkey on whole-grain bread, an apple, and water.

Snack (180 calories)

Yogurt and Berries

Around 3 am. Greek yogurt with berries. Skip the energy drink.

After-shift (280 calories)

Eggs and Toast

Around 7:30 am, then sleep. Two eggs and one slice of toast.

Day 2

1,540 calories · 92g protein · 146g carbs · 52g fat

Pre-shift (640 calories)

Salmon and Potato

Baked salmon, a small potato, and green beans.

Mid-shift (450 calories)

Chicken Wrap

Chicken, hummus, and vegetables in a wrap. Easy to eat cold.

Snack (200 calories)

Apple and Cheese

One apple and a cheese stick.

After-shift (250 calories)

Small Oatmeal

A small bowl of oats. No second dinner.

Day 3

1,460 calories · 102g protein · 140g carbs · 44g fat

Pre-shift (600 calories)

Beef and Pasta

Lean beef, tomato sauce, and pasta. A side salad.

Mid-shift (480 calories)

Tuna Rice Bowl

Tuna, rice, cucumber, and olive oil. Packs cold.

Snack (160 calories)

Cottage Cheese

A cup of cottage cheese.

After-shift (220 calories)

Yogurt and Fruit

Yogurt and a piece of fruit, then blackout curtains.

This is a sample plan. Get a personalized version tailored to your calories, macros, and food preferences.

Day 4

1,530 calories · 95g protein · 150g carbs · 52g fat

Pre-shift (580 calories)

Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken, vegetables, and rice.

Mid-shift (460 calories)

Turkey Pita

Turkey, hummus, and lettuce in a pita.

Snack (210 calories)

Peanut Butter Crackers

Whole-grain crackers with peanut butter.

After-shift (280 calories)

Protein Smoothie

Milk, yogurt, and a banana. Drink it, then sleep.

Day 5

1,460 calories · 80g protein · 154g carbs · 48g fat

Pre-shift (560 calories)

Shrimp and Rice

Shrimp, vegetables, and rice.

Mid-shift (440 calories)

Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg salad on bread. Keeps in a cooler.

Snack (200 calories)

Milk and a Banana

A glass of milk and a banana.

After-shift (260 calories)

Cottage Cheese Toast

Cottage cheese on one slice of toast.

Day 6

1,570 calories · 104g protein · 112g carbs · 64g fat

Pre-shift (620 calories)

Turkey Chili

Turkey and bean chili with a small potato.

Mid-shift (480 calories)

Chicken Salad

Chicken, romaine, and a light dressing. A roll on the side.

Snack (150 calories)

Yogurt

Plain yogurt.

After-shift (320 calories)

Egg and Avocado Toast

One egg on toast with avocado. Stop there.

Day 7

1,600 calories · 84g protein · 172g carbs · 54g fat

Pre-shift (640 calories)

Salmon and Pasta

Salmon, pasta, and broccoli.

Mid-shift (500 calories)

Bean Burrito

Beans, rice, and salsa in a tortilla. No extra chips.

Snack (180 calories)

Cheese and Apple

Cheese and half an apple.

After-shift (280 calories)

Oats and Berries

A small bowl of oats with berries.

Create My Meal Plan

FAQ

What are some good meal ideas for 12-hour shifts?

Pack food that survives a break room. A chicken and rice bowl, a turkey sandwich, tuna pasta, or a wrap covers the mid-shift meal. Greek yogurt, an apple with cheese, or cottage cheese covers the later snack. The largest plate is the one you eat before the shift starts. The week on this page is built as four stops: pre-shift, mid-shift, a small snack, and a light meal before sleep.

What is a good eating plan for night shift workers?

Eat a full meal in the early evening before clock-in, a real meal on the mid-shift break, and a small snack later. After a 7 pm to 7 am shift, keep the morning meal light so you can sleep. Coffee belongs in the first half of the shift, not in the last four to six hours. Skipping food all night and then eating a large breakfast at dawn is the pattern that adds weight.

Do you gain weight on night shift?

Many people do. Night work lines up with shorter sleep, more vending-machine snacks, and a large meal at the end of the shift when the body is ready to sleep. The shift itself is not a calorie. Weight goes up when the night's food is bigger than the day you are not living. Keep the biggest meal before work and the after-shift plate small.