Time, money affect eating habits

Instant macaroni and cheese. Ramen noodles. Potato chips. These are just some of the things that make gaining the dreaded "freshman 15" so much easier for some college students. However, the dreaded "freshman 15" is no longer the only thing that is guiding students' food choices — time and money are two other factors taken into consideration.

 
Arialle Crabtree, a sophomore in political science, is one of these students.

 
"The major thing that prevents students from eating healthy is time," Crabtree said. "It's not availability so much. Yes, finances play a part, especially when you're living on campus, but it takes more time to make say a salad than it does to grab as sub on the go."

 
Crabtree, like other college students, sometime crams two meals into one in order to preserve time. Breakfast, often described by nutritionists and dietitians, as the staple meal of the day, is one that Crabtree relies heavily upon.

 
"I really don't like eating breakfast, but I have to because I might not have time to eat any other time during the day until late at night," Crabtree said.

 
On rare instances that she is able to grab lunch, Crabtree said it's usually something quick and easy.

 
"If I have time to go back to my apartment, I'll try to make a good salad or sandwich, but usually, since I'm a commuter student, it's something from a vending machine," Crabtree said.

 
The quick and easy option is not always the healthiest option. It is, however, usually the least expensive. With this economy, the fact of the matter remains that college students, like many groups of people, simply do not have as much money to spend as they did before, which makes shopping more painful.

 
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in December 2007, energy-dense food costs on average $1.76 per 1,000 calories. In comparison, a 1,000-calorie low-energy, nutritious option cost $18.16 on average.

 
Some students, however, have managed to find a balance.

 
For those living on campus with meal plans like Christian Stackhouse, a freshman in aerospace engineering, the predicament is slightly easier to manage.

 
"I eat in Clark [Dining Hall] most of the time, and they offer some pretty healthy options," Stackhouse said.

 
Although Stackhouse admits that he does not always have time to cook for himself, he said does take other steps to make sure that he has healthy options around his dorm.

 
"I usually don't have time to cook, but when I do I try to make sure that I have enough for a few meals. That way, it'll be my lunch or dinner the next day or something," Stackhouse said.

 
For the students unlike Stackhouse, however, University Dining has taken a number of steps to ensure that students have more options within the dining halls on campus.

 
According to Randy Lait, director of dining services, one of the most important things that University Dining offers is its registered dietitian who is available to meet with students to discuss their particular needs.

 
"She goes through the nutritional values of everything that we offer," Lait said. "She's also been working with our chefs to change some of our recipes to make things healthier. We're now able to make things vegetarian that might not have been before."

 
In addition to having a registered dietitian on staff, University Dining has also improved its Web site to include nutritional values for menu items at all dining halls.

 
For instance, on the University Dining Web site, students can find resources to help develop personalized diets that fit within their meal plans.

 
However, at the end of the day, Lait and others maintain that the ultimate choice will come down to the student to make the right decision.

 
From a parent's perspective, Lait said he believes sometimes not having mom and dad around to guide what is being purchased can lead to certain unhealthy eating habits.

 
"Obviously, it varies by the student, but some students see food as comfort," Lait said. "You're in a new environment, a new school with new people, and all these comforts have been left at home, and food comforts them."

 
Whether it is the countless bowls of Ben and Jerry's or excessive amounts of gummy worms, students should know that a few careless food options here and there may come back to haunt them years down the road said Stackhouse.

 
While he acknowledges that healthy eating does usually have some challenges — whether economically or from a time management standpoint — Stackhouse said it is important to consider the long-term effects.

 
"Eating healthy is typically a bit more expensive, but it's definitely a good investment in the long run," Stackhouse said. "That's what students should think about."