Many students today have the challenge of choosing what to eat based on the food they can afford. College students are subject to targeted ads for meal plans. However, options like these aren’t always the most cost friendly and nutritious alternative.
“Time is money, so saving money on your food takes time,” Samantha Hill, Weber State University nutrition instructor and registered dietician, said. “The best thing to do is meal prep. A bag of dried beans can help with multiple nutritious meals, but it takes time to prepare … Another example would be making your own bread.”
Many students face food insecurity at Weber State. In a 2022 Utah Systems of Higher Education survey, titled “Food Security Survey of Higher Education Students in Utah,” 38.8% of students were food insecure within the last year, and 21.1% of students experienced “very low” food security.
Weber State offers a food pantry that is open to all students and is accessible without application or prior approval. The food pantry is located in the Stewart Library. The Weber Cares Pantry states on its website that students can come once a week to pick up a bag of food and once a month for a pack of hygiene products.
“The Weber Cares Program has strived to increase healthy eating options, decrease food insecurity and increase students’ ability to stay in school and finish their degrees,” Weber State says on its website.
Hill said meal planning can be a cost-effective way to eat while adhering to healthy dietary guidelines.
“The biggest thing is don’t pay money for a meal plan,” Hill said. “There are free options online like ChooseMyPlate. This is good for anyone and doesn’t cost. Any meal plan you choose to follow should contain a good balance of carbs, fat and protein.”
ChooseMyPlate is a resource where individuals can find meal plans to fit their needs, as well as get educated about how a meal plan works and how to build nutritious meals. However, regardless of free meal planning tools, students continue to run into the problem of food prices.
“I usually meal prep for the week, and I used to buy ingredients; the same things would cost $70-$100, but now when I go shopping, it’s more like $120-$160,” Weber student Akanskha Singh said. “It’s too expensive, and I have dietary restrictions, so I can’t use the food pantry.”
