For many students, college is the first tentative step into adulthood. New York Times columnist David Brooks explains students use their college years to build relationships that they eventually leave when they take on the job market. Furthermore, he states that when students leave college, they are unsure about how to get a job, let alone perform basic skills without the assistance of their parents. One of the basic skills young adults struggle with is where to get their food. Cooking one’s own food holds not only financial benefits, but also positive physical health effects. It is a worthy skill that can be learned in college or before.
At the University, the two smallest meal plans cost $1,360 per semester and $885 per semester, respectively. Though both meal plans include a large amount of plus dollars, which can be spent at a variety of dining establishments on Grounds, the flat price of each meal swipe is quite high. For the Semester 100 meal plan, each swipe costs $9.60 and, for the Semester 50, each swipe costs $10.50. For this reason, cooking can be a worthwhile financial solution for college students. According to Time, a balanced meal of roast chicken, side dishes, salad and milk costs about $14 for a family of four. This price is only slightly higher than the cost of a single meal swipe in the Semester 50. Home cooking can save college students a large amount of money in the long run and, as tuition costs rise at our own University, it can help to counterbalance that financial change. Brooks explains students struggle beyond college and frequently move back in with their parents because they lack the basic skills and financial knowledge to survive. A basic knowledge of cooking can provide students with a means of independence after they graduate.
Furthermore, cooking has nutritional benefits that students do not receive from restaurants or dining halls. A study by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health found that people who cook their own meals consume fewer calories and less sugar and fat than those who eat out. With home cooking, students have the ability to control what goes into their food, such as modifying the salt content and nutritional offerings to fit their specific tastes. Home cooking offers a flexibility that is not available in large settings like restaurants and dining halls, which benefits all students.
Though the University does offer some healthy options at its dining halls, it still serves French fries and other “fast food” type dishes nearly every day. Also, at the University’s dining halls, food is prepared ahead of time for students which, while convenient, allows for little knowledge of what is really in the food. Journalist and food author Michael Pollan explains in an interview with The Boston Globe that cooking is the basis of human health. He states, “If you cook, you’re not going to have French fries every day. Homemade French fries are delicious, but they’re such a pain to make. There are things built into the process of cooking that guard against those very tempting, but ultimately not very healthy, foods. You don’t even have to worry about what you’re cooking because you will naturally gravitate toward simple things.” By simply cooking some of the simplest foods, like sauteed vegetables or beans, students can build healthy eating habits to carry through their lives.
By establishing healthy habits through cooking in college, University students can begin a healthful routine for the rest of their lives. According to the American Heart Association, the percentage of sedentary jobs in the workforce has increased by 83 percent since 1950 and inactivity is contributing the obesity epidemic. Cooking a healthy lunch is an easy way to combat this because, instead of chowing down on fast food after sitting for several hours, workers can consume a sandwich or salad and save money as well. By cooking lunch every day instead of eating out, workers can save around $2,500 a year, which adds up over the course of a lifetime. Though it may seem like a chore to start cooking now, the financial and health benefits over a lifetime outweigh the small amounts of time and effort that go into making your own food.
Carly Mulvihill is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at c.mulvihill@cavalierdaily.com.
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