Poor eating habits among college students are frequently criticized. But is the notion of a poor diet still popular today?

Although pasta and baked beans on toast are commonly associated with students, their meals actually consist of much more than that. According to a poll, there are twice as many vegetarian students in the UK as there are non-vegetarian students. Health benefits have been linked to diets that include little to no meat, although the total healthfulness of a vegetarian diet depends on the kind of foods consumed in place of meat. The same survey also revealed that 25% of students often consume convenience foods. Only one in five students, according to the findings of another survey, engage in healthy eating habits, such as moderate snacking, consuming minimal fast food, and consuming lots of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, studies have shown that college students are more likely to put on weight than non-students of the same age. Despite a brief exception during COVID, when students didn’t leave their parents’ houses, according to Martin Caraher, professor emeritus of food and health policy at City, University of London, research indicates that students don’t typically eat very healthily. Many adults graduate from university and then eat unhealthy foods. The offers of junk food get them into a culture of believing this is an acceptable and typical lunch.

The difficulties that students encounter in consuming a healthy, balanced diet—including a lack of time, money, and cooking skills—affect far more than simply students. Even though these are substantial obstacles, research does show that healthy diets can be achieved with these constraints.