Shift working and food...

my suggestion would be to look at your carb intake. If you can get it to about 100-150 grams you may feel less hungry and be better able to cope with that hectic schedule. I work nights and even thoughits an 8 hr shift my eating was out of wack until i lowered my carbs. I dont get the big insulin spike and drops and am able to go longer without food when my schedule or work wont allow me to eat

I work in an emergency dept, so I have a pretty good idea of what you are talking about. The main issue is not just that you are working shifts, but that your breaks are pretty unpredictable and irregular- am I right?
Its tough, especially when your colleagues suggest stopping for junk food! I'd agree with the not taking any money idea- it really helps at those weak moments. And taking all your own food gives you much more control. The thing is, you just can't fit your lifestyle and job into the 'breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack' model. How about splitting your daily calorie allowance into a larger number of smaller snacks/meals of healthy stuff that you can carry with you and eat on the go? Or a bigger breakfast before work (whenever that is) to keep you going and snacks for work? I turn some of my'meal' breaks into just coffee breaks, or 'walk around the block' breaks rather than eating even though I'm not hungry just because I happen to have a random break time. Of course than sometimes means I have to use one of those so-called 'natural' breaks when its a bit quieter to have a banana or something to get me through.
If you figure out a solution let me know- I'm working the twilight tonight and I still haven't figured out what I am taking with me to eat.

I know what you mean about perhaps being on the road and not getting back to the depot. I drive trains and during our whole shift we only get one twenty minute break at the depot and that breeak time is not generally at a time I need to eat, so I do have to carry my food with me. I have a small backpack and a freezer block in it. So it keeps cold chicken, tuna salad milk for cereal cold. I also have a small thermos (one cup capacity) that will keep soup or porridge warm.

The times I mentioned are not set in stone, they were merely an example of how the nightshift mirrored the daytime eating patterns. Also the reason I don't eat breakfast before work is because I get hungry too early and will have eaten all my food before lunch!

It doesn't take long to eat and even though your shifts aren't structured and you don't know how it will pan out, just try to eat regularly so you don't get excessively hungry and then want to have a big binge when you get home.

I've worked shift work for over 20 years so it's a tried and true method that I found works well. My son has recently started working night shift as well and also does this.

Feel free to message me if I can help any more. When it comes to weight issues, you name it and I've been there!

I forgot to add that my husband's cousin is a paramedic too (not sure where you live, but we are in Australia) and the freezer block in a backpack works just fine for him...