Going to university is an exciting time but also an unprecedented time of change. Students will have more choice over what they eat while also partaking in new social experiences and discovering new food cultures — all while having a very limited food budget. Eating a healthy diet without running down your student loan or wasting valuable study or social time can be challenging.
Studies show that university students drink more alcohol, eat more sugar and eat fewer fruits and vegetables than they did while living at home — not surprisingly!
Eating well is a much-underrated aspect of making the most out of your university experience. Working hard and playing hard are part of that experience for most. However, in order for your body to do both of these things, it needs to recover. It can do this so much better with a healthy, balanced diet than without it.
It's very easy to think about the menus of change principles as a special occasion or fine dining event types of food due to the increased costs associated with higher welfare animal products, organic fruits and vegetables. However, many forget it can start with simple legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Viewing these principles as foundations for a successful and sustainable food policy is important. To embrace it as an ethos to which all food and food-related decisions are made. From the simple breakfast egg to the elaborate 7-course tasting menu you have just been asked to provide for next week. The values should remain the same for each course, each menu and each event.
Expanding your everyday options makes great commercial sense, as our customers are increasingly aware of the pitfalls of highly processed foods and their effect on our health.
The recent decline in ultra-processed plant-based food purchases has also been attributed to this increasing awareness. Customers reporting that they are increasingly eating plant-based meals,
while sales of these ultra-processed foods are declining, with many manufacturers removing multiple product lines from their ranges. This shows there is demand for freshly made, simple, recognizable food. Food to complement and work alongside our traditional offers while also creating excitement.
Breakfast in university halls, for example, tends to be a choice of full English, Danish and cereals. It’s overly heavy with ultra-processing, trans-fats, salt and carbs. Yet simple and delicious alternatives are easy to prepare and can be colourful, vibrant and attractive to our customers. I suggest offering a range of fresh, dried fruits, nuts and grains to add to your cereal, or adding easy dishes like, avocado toast with poached eggs, pancakes with fresh banana and honey, homemade granola with fresh fruit compote, simple sliced fruits like melon, as well as more complex but still very easy dishes like shakshuka or breakfast quesadillas.
All these add much-needed colour and choice to our everyday breakfast offers and provide our students with important micronutrients. Research into student performance and diet has consistently shown that students who eat a nutritionally balanced diet have better cognition, mood, and health. Levels of fruit and vegetable intake in students have a huge influence on exam results, while the level of key vitamins and minerals has a direct effect on concentration levels.
Alternatively, I suggest offering healthy snacking options such as yoghurts, nuts, cottage cheese, oatmeal, dates, eggs, and the huge swathe of ready-to-eat items now available in this space. Avoid high-sugar items, which can lead to blood sugar crashes and fatigue.
By expanding our offers and changing how we promote the food we serve, we can deliver a menu that will benefit students and enable them to succeed. Put delicious, fresh and colourful foods front and centre when designing menus and dining spaces. Encourage students to eat better — not only is it a valuable life skill for them, but university is the best place to start.
