6 Nutritional Cooking Tips for Small Vessel Offshore Workers

If you’re not a crew member on a large oil rig or shipping vessel, chances are, your offshore accommodations are limited when it comes to food preparation.

Good nutrition is often compromised by the lifestyle of a maritime worker on a smaller vessel. While big rigs can afford to have restaurant-quality kitchen facilities and trained chefs, many smaller vessels must make do with a crewmember’s culinary skills in a tiny galley.

Even though many of these jobs require you to be out at sea for weeks, meaning provisions have to be bought all ahead of time, you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition! Here are some tips for making the most of packaged and frozen goods: 

• Look for flash-frozen vegetables – they retain their nutrients better than traditional frozen foods and sometimes even fresh fruits and vegetables;
• Get creative with canned soups – cream based soups can be converted into sauces and gravies;
• Stewing for space – one-pot stews can make use of a bag of mixed frozen vegetables and canned soup or stock with your choice of meat, saving space and time;
• Stock smart – try to keep goods on hand, such as canned soups, rice and beans, which can be used in a variety of recipes;
• Don’t get too convenient – try to avoid prepared meals; they’re generally higher in preservatives and sodium. Make your own versions by buying the basic components and combining them yourself; and
• Provide a balanced meal – don’t forget that you need to balance proteins, starches, fruits and vegetables to increase your crew’s nutritional intake. 

Good nutrition is a key factor in keeping healthy while working on an offshore job. Try to eat a variety of foods while away from land and take advantage of fresh foods when you have the opportunity to come ashore. Don’t forget that healthy eating can be a major factor in keeping your immune system strong and your body resistant to the harsh conditions you can run into while out at sea!

Contact a Gulf Coast Maritime Law Attorney

Maritime law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. A maritime law attorney from The Young Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana, can help you if you have suffered maritime offshore accident injuries in a horrible diving accident or other accident that falls under maritime law or the Jones Act. 

Though we are based in Louisiana, we are ready and able to help injured victims throughout the U.S. Order our free Maritime Injury Law guide and/or our guide to what to do when you are injured offshore to learn all about your rights as an injured worker. 

When you are ready to get started with your Jones Act injury case, we urge you to contact us today for a FREE case evaluation – call 1-504-680-4100 or toll-free at 1-866-938-6113.