The who: College students, staff members and faculty members who spend most of their day in school and end up skipping meals or choosing other unhealthy alternatives because of the lack of healthy options available.
The what: what kind of healthy snacks do students prefer? Being able to cater to the needs of students with dietary restrictions?
The why: Testing to see why despite having a few healthy alternative options for lunch or a snack, why are students still preferring fast food joints, vending machines as their only option for lunch.
Discussions with students on campus
1) The first person i interviewed was a student n her freshmen year at the University of Florida. Originally from Tampa and with this year being her first year at Gainesville she wasn't aware of the options around her and chose to opt for a meal plan instead. While she seemed relatively satisfied with the quality of food being served at Broward hall, she did claim that the meal plan was costly and hence she wouldn't be able to continue it in the future. I then asked her if she was aware of the options available on and off campus as well. To which she replied she knew of The Hub and the fast food joints available at Reitz, but due to the inconvenience of long lines and her hectic schedule she wasn't able to go there often and instead if she really feels like enjoying something from outside she just orders it online which is way more convenient for her.
2) The second person I spoke to was my roommate who is in her senior year at UF. Since most of her classes are online she doesn't spend much time on campus except for when she feels she really needs to attend class. Upon asking what she has for lunch on campus on days when shes short on time, she said she just goes to the salad bar and grabs that or skips a meal and comes home and cooks herself something. I then asked why doesn't she prefer the on campus options that are available, she said that there are limited healthy options and plus she has some dietary restrictions and hence she cant really have anything from outside. So she ends up buying a bunch of groceries from Publix and ends up cooking herself something at home according to her diet plan and taste which she enjoys a lot because she finds cooking to be very therapeutic.
3) The third person I spoke to regarding this was my friend who goes to Ohio state university. He informed me that since his liberal arts campus is small with only about 2000 students enrolled, and limited options, finding healthy inexpensive food on or off campus can be quite challenging and a hassle, so he and his friends mostly stick to the dining halls and end up consuming the unhealthy options available. Living in a dorm he cant really cook the meals for himself and the off campus options available leads to sometimes in abundance. But he does go to gym regularly and keeps himself in check. Being a fruit lover in the past I asked how many of servings of fruit he has in a day to which he replied he has three apples in a week because he rarely goes grocery shopping.
4) My other friend at City University of New York, stated that her university department has done a great deal in creating a healthy and sustainable way of eating and promoted it a lot in her 2 years of being there. They have started their own Healthy CUNY initiative which ensures that students have easy access to healthy options and leave CUNY healthier and better than when they previously entered. By conducting numerous surveys on the kind of healthy snacks and drinks most students preferred, they devised a plan that catered to the students needs easily by reducing processed snacks and food and candy offering to store more salads and fresh ingredient items.
5) I then spoke to my brother who is in his senior year about this since hes greatly involved in sports and tries to stay healthy. Since hes in his senior year he spends almost all day on campus so either hes attending classes or hes studying in the library. With limited healthy options that are either too expensive or just not according to his taste results in him skipping his afternoon meal most of the times. On days when he skips breakfast, he ends up going to Publix or target right after his class ends and either buys hummus and flatbread or tuna. Upon discussing my idea with him, he said that if selected vending machines were stacked with healthier options at low effective rates, labeled with stickers and all to promote the campaign it could be really successful.
After conducting my interview sessions with the respective people, I have realized how challenging it is for most students to find affordable options on campus and when they arent able to they resort to the other unhealthy alternatives available.
Hi Maha,
ReplyDeleteI really like your hypothesis. Finding affordable and healthy food on campus is an impossible task. Students usually end up skipping meals because they are on campus. Food on campus is so expensive and not healthy. I hope that the University finds a way to promote better food standards for students who don't have that much money and want to eat healthy.
Hello Maha,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog to be relatable and enjoyable. As someone who regularly packs a snack or protein bar for class or a trip to the library, I noticed early on at my time on campus that the snacks I would get on campus wouldn't particularly be the cleanest food option. As semesters went by I began to combat the threat of settling for an unhealthy alternative, I began packing healthier snacks.
Hey Maha,
ReplyDeleteI can really relate to your hypothesis and I am definitely experiencing the same kind of problem. I can never find any healthy options if I eat out and the only time I actually eat healthy is when I cook something at home. And even when you can cook "healthy" at home usually the healthy products are overpriced in the store and you're either breaking bank or breaking your belt loops. I totally agree with your hypothesis and hopefully this kind of outrage brings in more healthy options for UF students.