Listen Here
By Sydnie Schaffer
schaffers@findlay.edu
Many college students can attest that they hear the same cliche “advice” every semester: eat healthy, get enough sleep and take care of yourself. But the moment you step into a grocery store on a tight budget, that advice starts to feel less like encouragement and more like a joke.
When a single organic avocado costs more than an entire frozen pizza, healthy eating becomes a luxury that a lot of students can’t afford.
Grocery prices have climbed to the point where buying fresh produce feels a little risky. You can spend $20 on fruits and vegetables that look great in your cart, only to watch them wilt or mold in your dorm fridge by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, processed food is cheaper, lasts longer and requires zero cooking skills. It’s no surprise that many students reach for ramen instead of raspberries.
There’s also a time restraint that doesn’t get talked about enough. The common suggestion to “just meal prep” assumes students have access to full kitchens, storage space and an hour or two to chop vegetables and make a meal between classes, work, sports and studying.
On another note, some students don’t even have cars to get to affordable grocery stores. Others rely on campus meal plans that offer plenty of burgers and fries, but only a handful of hearty, healthy options.
Research backs up what many college students feel. A study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found that “the healthiest diets cost about $1.50 more per day than the least healthy diets,” which adds up to around $547.50 more a year.
Over the course of a school semester, that difference adds up, especially for students living on limited income or meal plans. Social media also plays a role in this stigma making it seem like a walk in the park to buy full carts of items at places like Whole Foods or Erewon. Wellness influencers make healthy eating look effortless, usually by using ingredients that cost a fortune or by showing off perfectly portioned meals cooked in a full kitchen.
The average college student doesn’t have the budget for almond flour, chia seeds or the fancy color coded meal prep containers. When healthy eating is presented as a lifestyle requiring expensive supplements and fifteen step smoothie recipes, it’s easy to feel discouraged before you have a chance to even try.
Despite what it may seem like, none of this means students don’t care about their health. It means the system around them doesn’t make healthy choices realistic. Affordable fruits and vegetables shouldn’t be rare. Students shouldn’t have to choose between eating well and staying within their budget.
Healthy eating will always take some effort, but it shouldn’t require financial sacrifice. If colleges want students to succeed academically and personally, making nutritious food more accessible would be a good place to start.
