Every Sunday evening, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Chance Tuttle throws several pounds of chicken breast into the crockpot, cooks some rice and broccoli and divides the food into several meal containers. That way, he’s set for lunch during the week, and he doesn’t mind eating the same thing over and over. “I know it’s fuel. And that works for me,” says the 13-year law enforcement veteran. And if he needs a snack for added energy, he grabs a bag of almonds at the nearest gas station.
Why nutrition is essential for first responder health and wellness
Initiatives to address the health, wellness and resiliency of first responders are gaining traction across the country, and more agencies, along with researchers and community partners, are looking at nutrition as a critical component for improving physical and mental health for law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and other public safety personnel.
“First responders are tactical athletes,” says Dr. Jill Joyce, a registered dietitian and associate professor of public health and nutrition at Oklahoma State University. A balanced diet helps boost overall resilience and improves physical and cognitive performance, she adds. It is key to reducing inflammation in the body and brain, which is linked to many chronic health conditions, like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, as well as some mental health disorders.
Dr. Jill Joyce — here pictured with Dr. Jay Dawes, professor of applied exercise science at Oklahoma State University — runs the university’s Tactical Fitness and Nutrition Lab. She works with military personnel, firefighters and law enforcement officers.
Photo/Jill Joyce
It’s a concern that’s especially relevant for first responders. Law enforcement officers are more likely to die from heart conditions at a much younger age than the general public, and more firefighters die from cardiovascular disease than from firefighting itself. Police officers struggle with depression, anxiety, burnout and post-traumatic stress at a higher rate than the general public. Some studies suggest that 30% of cops have a substance abuse problem. Alcohol dependence is at the top of the list.
Health and wellness programs focusing on nutrition are a largely untapped opportunity to support the longevity of first responders, says Mandy Nice, senior wellness and fitness subject matter expert for Lexipol, “especially at a time when so many agencies face recruitment and retention challenges.”
Boosting brainpower: The cognitive benefits of nutrition
Research into the role nutrition plays in treating mental health disorders has raised the question of whether specific dietary regimes — especially the ketogenic diet — may offer benefits for high-stress occupations, including first responders.
The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a very low-carb diet that triggers a metabolic switch — forcing the body to burn fat instead of sugar for energy. This metabolic state is referred to by scientists as ketosis, and there’s evidence that ketosis can improve brain health, says researcher Joyce.
The keto diet has long been used as a medical nutrition therapy, particularly for treating patients with epilepsy. New research, including a study from Stanford University, suggests that the diet can also serve as a so-called transdiagnostic treatment for several mental health disorders — from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to Alzheimer’s disease — by addressing underlying metabolic dysfunction but also easing symptoms like depression and anxiety.
The diet can help boost cognitive health in two ways, Joyce explains. Weight loss decreases body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol, resulting in better circulation and blood flow to the brain. The process of ketosis further “down-regulates inflammation and stimulates certain neurotransmitters that are associated with improved brain health,” adds Joyce.
While the keto diet can help boost cognitive health, many first responders on the keto diet don’t always follow the best version of it — with lean protein, healthier fat choices, like avocados, nuts or seed butter.
samael334/Getty Images
While the results seem appealing, the researcher cautions against advocating the keto diet as a first choice for public safety professionals. Most studies, she says, focus on the general population, and results may not apply to first responders. Police officers, firefighters and EMTs have hectic schedules — with shift work, overtime and often back-to-back calls leaving little time for a balanced nutrition regimen.
Joyce says many first responders on the keto diet don’t always follow the best version of it — with lean protein, healthier fat choices, like avocados, nuts or seed butter. “They tend to go more for the saturated fats,” like greasy, fried and processed meat. In that case, the keto diet can even exacerbate the risk of heart disease.
First responders, particularly law enforcement officers, are in a tough spot, says Nice, who also serves as chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)’s Physical Health and Wellness Working Group. Police officers are always on the go, she continues. Their desk is their patrol car, and they often don’t have the luxury of heating something up or preparing a salad. “I commend every first responder for even thinking about nutrition,” she says.
From a skinny recruit to a fit academy graduate to an out-of-shape cop and now back to peak fitness I am committed to staying fit, healthy and resilient
Simple nutrition rules first responders can stick to
While Joyce and Nice find that the Mediterranean diet — with its combination of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and a moderate amount of lean animal products — offers many advantages, they don’t push any specific diet for first responders. “We have to meet them where they are,” says Nice. Instead of a rigid nutrition regime, she recommends “core nutrition guardrails.”
The first is to always stay hydrated. “It helps control appetite, reduces the risk of headaches and helps with recovery after workouts or long shifts,” she says. The second is eating an adequate amount of lean protein: grilled chicken, turkey or fish, eggs, or low-sodium beef jerky. Finally, Nice says to be mindful of sugar, especially processed sugar — candy, cookies and donuts. There’s nothing wrong with having occasional sweet treats, she says, “just don’t make them a routine.”
The timing of food intake is also critical, adds dietitian Joyce. “One of the nutrition goals for first responders is that they are properly fueled for the mission,” she says. Carbs are faster fuel than fat, so even for those first responders who are on the keto diet, which is high-fat and low-carbs, she recommends eating some carbs right before a training event or at the beginning of a shift.
Nutrition is energy: Eat for the work ahead
At the Colorado State Patrol, Trooper Brittany Wheeler advocates a pragmatic approach to healthy nutrition. Wheeler, a law enforcement officer for 11 years, is fitness coordinator for the agency’s wellness team. “I encourage people to think about nutrition as energy. What you put in your body has a purpose” — and that can be different depending on the task of the day, whether it’s desk work or a high-stakes event at the State Capitol.
In her classes, Wheeler teaches fellow troopers nutrition basics — how to keep a healthy balance of carbs, proteins and fat, the benefits of whole and unprocessed food, or how to read nutrition labels. The wellness team also shares simple and balanced recipes, but Wheeler says she doesn’t push a specific diet. “We have manuals for our defensive tactics or roadside maneuvers. But there’s no manual for wellness because we are all different humans.”
Wheeler is currently looking into making healthy meal delivery services available to the agency as a whole, selected patrol offices, or individual employees.
How agencies can support better nutrition habits
Departments around the country have come up with creative ideas to make healthy nutrition more accessible for first responders, says Lexipol’s Mandy Nice. Some agencies have appointed dedicated healthy food shoppers; others have negotiated discounts with health food stores or partnered with local farmers’ markets that deliver batches of fresh produce once a week. “It’s an opportunity to boost community relations while helping first responders with healthy nutrition choices,” says Nice.
Studies have shown that by putting healthy food choices instead of junk food snacks on the counter, agencies can “trick” first responders into practicing better and more balanced eating habits.
Photo/Jill Joyce
Getting first responders’ families involved in setting and maintaining healthy nutrition habits is another motivation booster, says Oklahoma State University researcher Joyce. Also, agencies can set up their environment “to basically trick their staff into eating healthy” — for example, by keeping junk food snacks out of sight and instead, putting healthy choices like apples, clementines, almonds and granola bars out on the counter.
In 2022, Joyce’s team conducted a study with several fire stations, dropping off fresh produce at the beginning of each shift for three months. The result: On average, each firefighter ate an extra pound of produce per shift. “And we didn’t teach a class. We didn’t counsel anyone,” says Joyce. “The environment is a huge factor.”
Ideally, agencies have dedicated wellness leaders who support other first responders in making good nutrition part of their lifestyle norm, Joyce adds, “like a peer fitness model.”
- Trooper Chance Tuttle got into the habit of preparing his meals many years ago when he was assigned to his agency’s tactical team. He’s now part of the Oklahoma First Responder Wellness Division, which was created in 2022 and has 11 members, serving all law enforcement, fire, EMS and communications personnel in the state. Tuttle wants to pass on his experience of how to establish and maintain a healthy nutrition routine. “My advice is to make a plan,” he says. “And make it as easy, convenient and simple as you ca