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Brooke Egerman
Dr. Gabriela Rios
ENC 1102
6/10/14
The Struggle is Real: How Does Being on a College Budget Affect Students Access to
Quality Food?
Did you know that studies show that the freshman 15 is false? While this may
sound like a great thing, the shocking truth is that instead of gaining the 15 pounds in the
first year, college students are gaining it throughout their college years due to the bad
nutritional habits they pick up from the convenient and cheap foods. This is something
that I struggled with when I first got into college. My first year, I gained quite a few
pounds and didnt like the vision I saw in the mirror. This led me on a quest to find
nutritional food as an alternative to the convenient and cheap, bad food that I had become
accustomed to. This made me realize how difficult it is for a college student to find
affordable and nutritious food, an important point to make considering it plagues the
country.
Since it is important for college students to get nutritional food, the research
question that is going to be answered today is How does being on a college budget affect
students access to quality food? The following six sources aim to answer this question
in a variety of ways. The first set of sources (King, Pelletier, and Tsiberman) aims to
show that students base their purchasing options on mainly convenience and price. I
chose these sources because they provided evidence that students eat foods regardless of
their nutritional values just because they are cheap and convenient. The second set of
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sources (Jane, Radcliffe, and Ware) talk about students ability to find healthy foods and
what they would do if they knew where to find them. I chose these sources because they
all have different studies showing that if students could find healthy food choices for
affordable prices, they would.
King, Evan. "Students Rely More on Convenience, Price When Considering Food
Options." Flor-Ala. 17 Feb. 2011. N.p.. n. pag.. Web. 8 June 2014.
Evan Kings article talks about students unhealthy eating habits due to the
convenience and low price of fast foods. The author explains how students just
buy food based on price and convenience, and dont necessarily care about what
is in it as long as it is cheap and convenient. According to a campus culture
survey, it is estimated college students eat an average of six to eight fast food
meals a week. The author concluded that, these high numbers are more than
likely due to convenience and price, both of which are highly important to college
students (paragraph 1-2). While some may argue that students would eat these
foods even if they knew what was in it, the author disagrees. One of the main
reasons students eat these foods are that they dont know whats in it, and if they
did, they would be less likely to consume it.
I agree. I think that if fast food chains had to include the ingredients and
nutritional information clearly with each item, students would be less likely to
consume them. Students buy these items just based off of the price and
convenience, and dont even think of what is in it. I find some of the information
in this article disturbing about just how bad some of the fast food is for you, and I
feel that if other students came in contact with information such as this, they
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would be less likely to consume it. An important fact to make, considering that
obesity is a major issue in America, and a students low budget leading them to
eat this food can only lead to an increase in obesity.
Kolodinsky, Jane, PhD., et al. "The Use of Nutritional Labels by College Students in a
Food-Court Setting." Journal of American College Health. 57.3 (2008): 297-302.
ProQuest. Web. 5 June 2014.
In The use of Nutritional Labels by College Students in a Food-Court Setting,
Jane Kolodinsky explains the affect of nutritional labels on college students food
choices. Specifically, Kolodinsky argues that providing nutritional information
does have an impact on the choices students make. Some people believe that
students would eat unhealthy either way, though Kolodinsky insists that it is the
prices and lack of time that pushes students to choose the unhealthy, fast foods.
As the author herself puts it, Despite the overall positive feedback about
labeling, several other factors came into play regarding food purchases namely,
price and convenience (300). In sum, then, her view is that when given the
proper information, students are more likely to choose the healthier option, but if
the unhealthier option is cheaper or faster, students are likely to choose that.
I agree with the argument that Kolodinsky makes. Price and convenience can
affect the food choices students make. For instance, if a student is on their way to
class and the line for the salad is longer than the line for pizza, the student will
likely choose the pizza. In addition, if getting a bag of chips is cheaper than a fruit
salad, the student will likely buy the chips instead. Some might object, of course,
on the grounds that there are plenty of college students that do eat healthy. Yet, I
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would argue that price and convenience do play a role. Overall, then, I believe
that college students budget can affect their food practices and ultimately their
health.
Pelletier, Jennifer E., and Melissa N. Laska. "Balancing Healthy Meals And Busy Lives:
Associations Between Work, School, And Family Responsibilities And Perceived
Time Constraints Among Young Adults." Journal Of Nutrition Education And
Behavior 44.6 (2012): 481-489. PsycINFO. Web. 10 June 2014.
The study Balancing Healthy Meals and Busy Lives: Associations between
Work, School, and Family Responsibilities and Perceived Time Constraints
among Young Adults by Jennifer Pelletier and Melissa Laska searches to
analyze how perceived time constraints and economic situations impact healthy
eating habits. The results of the survey were women, 4-year students, and
students with lower socioeconomic status perceived more time constraints;
students with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to have a healthy
balance. Having a heavy course load and working longer hours were important
predictors of time constraints among men, whereas living situation and being in a
relationship were more important among women (481). In sum, their results
were that the lower the socioeconomic class, the more perceived time constraints
there were, and therefore, the less likely the person was to have a healthy diet.
I agree with these findings. As a college student I know that I dont eat as healthy
as I once had. With the lower socioeconomic status that comes with being a
college student, I do feel like I have more time constraints, and have switched to
some of the less healthy, but cheaper and quicker alternatives. Some people may
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say that you can buy healthy foods for cheap as well, but I would argue that
healthy foods arent as convenient and easily available as the less healthy
alternatives. This will affect all college students at some point.
Radcliffe, Shawn. "Nearly 60 Percent of College Students Are 'Food Insecure'."
Healthlines RSS News. 30 Jan. 2014. N.p.. n. pag.. Web. 8 June 2014.
The article Nearly 60 Percent of College Students are Food Insecure by
Shawn Radcliffe talks about how food insecurity is affecting college students and
their life. Furthermore, the author argues that the inability for students to afford or
find nutritious foods is crippling students physical and mental health. A new
study published in the Journal of Nutrition and Education states 59% of students
at a university in Oregon were food insecure: that means they had limited or
uncertain access to nutritious and safe foods (paragraph 2). Some people say that
college students choose not to eat healthy, but this author argues that it is not a
choice, but a crisis where students dont have access to nutritional foods either
due to money or inability to find it.
I agree. As a college student I would love to eat nutritional foods such as fruits
and vegetables, as well as make homemade food every night, but on my budget, I
cant afford a diet such as that. Produce is typically one of the most expensive
things at the grocery store, and fresh cut meat is also at a large premium. So while
some may argue that I make a choice to not eat healthy, I would argue that I
couldnt afford to make the nutritional choice and eat what I would prefer. I
believe most college students, given the access to nutritional food at an affordable
price would pick that over the less healthy option at a similar price.
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Tsiberman, Lana. "Campus Life Nurtures Bad Eating Habits." The Connection. 19 Apr.
2010. N.p.. n. pag.. Web. 4 June 2014.
In Campus life nurtures bad eating habits, Lana Tsiberman provides evidence
that the college lifestyle creates bad eating habits that lead to long-term effects.
Specifically, Tsiberman argues that the rush of college life leads students to
sacrifice nutritional values for cheap and fast, but less nutritional options. As the
author herself puts it, Some of these bad habits include constantly eating on the
run, fast food, and not eating enough wholesome food (paragraph 2). Although
some people believe if students have the money for college, then they can afford
to eat healthy, Tsiberman insists that because students are always on the run and
have a small budget, they dont have the time or money to eat the correct diet. In
sum, then, her view is that students are in a way influenced to make bad diet
decisions, and it negatively impacts their studies.
In my view, the argument that Tsiberman makes is completely true. For instance,
from my personal experience I know that what she says is quite accurate and Im
constantly influenced to make bad dieting decisions by cheap prices and fast food.
In addition, I find that if I do make the bad decision, then I feel lethargic the next
day. Some might object, of course, on the grounds that students would buy these
foods regardless. Yet, I would argue that students buy these foods because of the
low prices and speed of delivery. Overall, then, I believe campus life does nurture
bad eating habits --an important point to make given I live in an environment
shaped by this every day.
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Ware, Gabrielle. "Eating Healthy on a Budget - Not So Impossible After All."
Northland's NewsCenter: News, Weather, Sports. 19 July 2013. N.p.. n. pag..
Web. 8 June 2014.
The article Eating Healthy on a Budget- Not So Impossible After All by
Gabrielle Ware talks about how even though its hard to eat healthy on a college
budget it is doable. She tells of different cheap ways that students who are on a
tight budget can still eat healthy. She explains this through the story of a college
student who has the typical tight college budget, and yet still eats healthy. A few
things students can do that she states are Frozen vegetables are easy to keep and
they dont go bad. People think that oh I have to get fresh produce and itll go
bad. I buy it and it spoils and Im throwing away money. Buy more frozen
vegetables (paragraph 13). While some may argue that the choices college
students have for nutritious food still isnt as healthy as it could be, the author
states her argument, that it is doable for a college student to be healthy.
I partly agree with what the author states. I think that while it is possible to eat
healthier than most college students do, I also think that fresh produce and other
healthy options that would both taste good and be healthier are not affordable or
easily attainable for college students. She claims that there are a select few
healthy foods that students can afford to buy, but I would argue that the fact that
students only have a few select options is an issue in and of itself, a good point to
make, given that healthy eating is a problem that plagues college students across
America.