College students have a stereotype of knowing how to cook one meal, Ramen Noodles. A student who is typically living on their own for the first time may not know how to feed themselves and that draws the question, how do college students eat?
For one’s first year living on campus at Oswego State, it is mandatory to get a full meal plan with the dining halls. This comes with unlimited swipes for meals and $70 is added to their Laker Dining Dollars account. However, upperclassmen start to lower their meal plan or not sign up for them at all. This means that they must get groceries and cook for themselves. However, many of these college students do not know how to cook or do not have the time for it.
“I’m really tired after coming back from class and I just want something quick, not something that I have to focus on,” Jasmine Hamilton, a student at Oswego State, said. “Because I’m in sorority life and other clubs, it’s a lot of my life.”
This is Hamilton’s junior year at Oswego State and she just moved off campus. She shares a house with two other girls, and said that she does not cook often. She never learned how to cook, and being so busy with school work and other clubs, she does not want to take the time out of her day to learn.
Hamilton does not have a meal plan at Oswego State. She said that it is too expensive to pay for the meal plan all four years. Resident Dining Director Ruth Stevens said most students who live off campus opt out of meals plans.
“We don’t get very many that actually buy a traditional meal plan,” Stevens said. “They may add Laker Dining Dollars, or they may buy the block ten meal plans.”
Finding time to cook in-between classes, clubs and work is hard for students, making eating out at fast-food restaurants and quick microwavable food typical meals.
“Fajita Grill and rice and beans [for] $1. 90-second rice and 50-cent can of beans,” Hamilton said.
For a busy college student that does not already know how to cook, it can be time consuming to learn.
“I definitely noticed that when I meet with students that maybe there’s a lack of knowledge around cooking, I definitely see that as a theme,” Kathryn Szklany, Oswego State’s registered dietitian said.
However, not all college students lack cooking skills. There are students that enjoy cooking, and want to take the time out of their day to do it. Amanda Scalfani, a junior at Oswego State, and Hamilton’s housemate, said she cooks at least three to four times a week.
“I cook chicken quesadillas. Sometimes steak if I have the money, burgers are big,” Scalfani said about her favorite meals to make.
Because of timing and the expenses of groceries, college students tend to stray away from cooking. After a long day, students want a meal that is fast and something easy, which could result in the food not being of the healthiest quality.
“The average college student is probably not eating a ton of vegetables from what I can tell,” Szklany said. “Not that they’re not eating any, but it’s not a huge beautiful plate of vegetables that I would love to dream that they’re eating. I think it’s some of those favorite kid-friendly foods.”
These kid-friendly foods can be found at most of the fast-food chains located in Oswego. Szklany said she also notices college students gravitating toward the same kind of food in the dining hall and wants students to break those patterns.
“Especially in college, you are trying to make these healthy behaviors,” Szklany said. “And if you stick to these things now, when you’re an adult … when you have things like full-time work and you have to do all the grocery shopping for yourself you can instill those healthy habits.”
Whether it be Ramen Noodles, 90-second rice or a steak, college students manage their way around the kitchen differently. Every student has different preferences, but buying groceries and cooking is not a top priority in the busy college student’s life.
Photo from Pixabay
