College students often fall into the habit of eating out to the detriment of both their health and their wallets.
Meg Bruening, assistant professor at ASU’s School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, educated students on Tuesday night about how to maintain a healthy diet and state-of-mind in college while on a tight budget.
“You are now at the stage of your life where you can create your own environment,” Bruening said, encouraging students to make it a healthy one. “A lot of times, what we see in college students is a lot of pizza and a lot of hamburgers, yet those who eat a well-balanced diet tend to do better in school.”
She spoke with students at the Student Center in the Post Office on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus about the transition into college, and how the adjustment impacts the health, diet and wallets of students.
Bruening explained that for many college students, especially those under 21, eating out is a social experience with friends and often comes with a lot of calories and junk food — an expensive path to poor health.
“Instead of going to dinner, go out for breakfast or lunch,” Bruening said. “Dinner usually costs more … for the same thing.”
Bruening recommends that students cook their own food at home for a cheaper and healthier alternative. However, if students do opt for eating out, she recommends staying mindful of prices, skipping appetizers and desserts, and taking leftovers home for a later meal.
She offered recommendations to students on ways to improve their diet, such as making sure a standard plate contains both fruits and vegetables, as well as making easy, small changes such as cutting down on sugary beverages.
“If you start with two sodas a day, cut back to one every day, and then every other day,” Bruening said.
Bruening recommends that the most efficient way to stretch the student dollar is prepare for your next grocery store run, make lists and to not shop when hungry.
Savannah Harrelson, director of local affairs for Undergraduate Student Government Downtown and a junior at ASU, said she organized Tuesday’s lecture in hopes of creating awareness to keep students health-conscious.
“A main concern for students is eating healthy because of the stresses of college, kitchen restraints and not having enough money to buy healthy food,” Harrelson said.
Harrelson’s concerns were echoed when members of the audience admitted that, since starting college, some went from eating out once a week to daily because of convenience.
“There is increased freedom,” said David Martinez, a junior at ASU. “No one is telling you what to do or when to do it.”
Contact the reporter at joseph.guzman@asu.edu
