Eat healthy and save money, nutritionists say

By Veronica Bustamanta
The Collegian

Lindsey Cascia rarely eats three square meals a day.

Like many students at Fresno State, the agricultual engineering major maintains a frantic schedule that keeps her on the go.

Cascia wakes up at 6 a.m. She gets ready for school quickly, often grabbing something to eat from Starbucks before class. She snacks while running errands in the afternoon. Then, she typically works until 8 p.m.

“I rarely eat dinner,” said Cascia, a senior who is paying her own way to school. “If I do, it’s usually fast food like Burger King, since it’s right by my house.”

Lots of Fresno State students find themselves in Cascia’s situation.

Gone are the days of the sit-down meal. Fast food, top ramen and Hot Pockets are often common foods in the “meals” now eaten by busy college students. Nowadays, it’s a bagel for breakfast, the drive-through for lunch and something microwaveable for dinner.

In addition to being busy, many students are also living on their own, and they have the added stress of balancing budgets of both time and money to fit their school and food needs.

Despite the convenience and affordability of quick food choices, nutritionists say students like Cascia with limited time and money can still make healthier and more reasonable choices.

Stephanie Morris, a registered dietician at the Fresno State health center, urges students to keep their eyes on the bottom of the traditional food pyramid, where there’s plenty of “the longer-lasting and healthier choices, in terms of meals, that students tend to lack or ignore.”

“It’s not the best thing for you to eat [top ramen] every day. You need variety in your meals,” Morris said. “It’s cheap and easy to incorporate protein and veggies as part of your diet. For most students, it’s lack of knowledge and preparation that leads to these poor choices.”

Cascia said her lack of time to prepare for meals, combined with a limited food budget of less than $50 a week, leads her to spend money at fast-food places.

“I eat fast food at least three times a week because I just don’t have time in between classes and work to go home and cook,” Cascia said, “and when I do, it’s usually top ramen.”

Morris said fast food places, which are slowly incorporating healthier choices into their menus, can sometimes be OK, as long as there’s balance in the other foods you eat throughout the day.

“It’s still better for you and cheaper to buy fruits and veggies from a store,” Morris said, “but if you have to eat at Taco Bell or McDonald’s, choose the lighter foods, like a soft taco.”

Some students who have roommates try to avoid the fast-food bug by splitting the cost of groceries together.

Senior liberal studies major Laina Teixeira shares a house with three roommates. The roommates rotate who buys groceries each week, on a set budget.

“We spend about 100 bucks a week,” Teixeira said. “We all chip in and take turns cooking. We usually make chicken and pasta, rice and some sort of veggie salad.”

However, even with a decent plan, a lot of Teixeira’s spending cash still gets spent at common hotspots.

“I do drink a lot of Starbucks and eat mostly at In & Out,” she said. “I probably spend around 15 bucks at each place a week.”

An article by dietician Monica Canales in the November 2006 issue of Today’s Dietitian magazine stated that there are several reasons why students choose non-nourishing foods, such as In & Out, as part of their budget.

“Many people give the following reasons: taste appeal, convenience, insufficient time to prepare healthy food, and pleasure eating sweet, salty or high-fat food,” Canales wrote. “Some individuals firmly believe less nourishing food is less expensive than healthy food.”

Canales’ article, “Supermarket Price Check,” also featured recent results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This report attempted to show that healthy food choices like grains are affordable for those on a tight budget.

The study indicated that overall, the price for healthy foods was 50 cents to $1 cheaper than less-nourishing foods.

“Even though the price difference between the snacks is minor, the trend is consistent and helpful for staying within a limited food budget,” Canales wrote.

Mollie Smith, a registered dietitian in the Food Science and Nutrition department at Fresno State, said both laziness and lack of cooking skills often leads to students not being able to follow a food budget.

“[Students] eat out way too much. They just don’t cook. I have students that eat fast food two or three times a day,” Smith said.

A mother of two college students herself, Smith said adding items like eggs, beans, rice, bread, cereal, canned foods and peanut butter to grocery lists are great, simple choices for people on a modest budget because they don’t spoil rapidly.

Smith tells students who can’t cook to buy some frozen fruits, veggies and TV dinners like Lean Cuisine, instead of opting for ramen or fast food.“Those are good staple items to have and are easy to eat at any time,” Smith said.

Some students, like the on-the-go Cascia, do like to pick up staple items in bulk, to both save money and plan ahead as much as possible.

Smith recommends that students shop at stores like Winco to stock up on staple items.

“Such stores that sell items in huge bulks are great for students on a tight budget because they can purchase grain, rice, beans, fruits and vegetables in large quantities at a lower price and they won’t go to waste,” Smith said.

Morris also suggests preparing your meals ahead of time, especially for busy students who say they don’t have time to cook or eat healthy.

“Make burritos and stick them in the freezer so you can have them at any time,” Morris said. “Buy pre-made foods so you take them anywhere with you if your schedule’s packed. I’ve had tremendous success with students who planned ahead like this.”

Both Morris and Smith agree that smart, simple decisions can help students who live on both a tight time and food budget.

“Students need to learn how to cook!” Morris said. “If you don’t know how to cook you’re at the mercy of top ramen.”

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