Posts Tagged ‘food affordability’

“The Student Diet”

Friday, July 19th, 2024

This diet varies depending on many factors: income, cultural background, access to student discounts, eating habits, schedule, etc. However, the common denominator in at least the student body I have encountered is that we all eat poorly. The reasons, as mentioned above, can differ, yet we all struggle to keep a balanced diet during the semester. 

I noticed this in others before I became aware of it in myself. A friend told me once that all he ate during his years in college was pizza because he was “broke” and had no kitchen in his dorm. Another one said that the stress during the semester made her appetite go away, so she would barely eat, while others told me they would eat more during the stressful four months. Slowly, I noticed how my habits would shift while studying. I could go hours without eating or drinking water. Once I finished my homework, I would buy anything accessible at the time—normally fast food—and eat very late at night. It was impossible to know if the constant exhaustion my body felt was due to the lack of nurturing food, sleep, or time off. Whatever the reason, it was there, and I could see it in my classmates as well.

Image Credit: https://healthhabits4life.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/how-to-know-if-you-need-nutritional-help/

Paying out of pocket for the semester also influenced my meal choices. Since money was limited, fast food was all I could afford because healthier options are more expensive–unjustifiable in a student’s budget. Throughout college, I’ve learned that many students deal with income-related issues, including the struggle with time management to prepare home-cooked meals or lack a support system to cook for them. In this aspect, I was fortunate to rely on my husband to cook meals for me when I was at my busiest. One term, I organized my schedule with four classes each day, with only 15 minutes between each class. For some reason, I didn’t think about leaving time to eat lunch. Consequently, not only did I not have time to cook at home, but I also didn’t have time to buy food. Thus, he would meal-prep for my week, making sure to pack healthier snacks with my lunch. Thankfully, I had someone making sure I fed myself properly, but some students don’t have that luxury. 

The many factors that influence “The Student Diet” make it difficult to come up with a solution. It is the reality of many students, especially those with limited income and support. Some public colleges offer food assistance, but that doesn’t mean students have the time to cook, since many work more than one job. Even those that offer canned or microwavable food are still flawed since these are not healthier alternatives either. However, I think an important step to improve this pattern in students’ diet is awareness. Many of us are unaware of our eligibility for welfare programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which still doesn’t provide the time to cook meals but at least it could help with the expense of more nurturing foods. Additionally, more conscious choices when grocery shopping are important. Some small but powerful decisions I have made, for example, are buying more filling snacks that are still cheap (fruits, yogurt, nuts) and avoiding the chips at the vending machine. It has helped with boosting my energy in between classes, at least.

Image Credit: https://healthprofessions.ucf.edu/research/studies/diet-quality-and-student-academic-performance/

Changing this diet for any other is challenging; thus, we must be aware of what we can control and the assistance programs available to us. So many of those factors that make us fall into it are out of our control, but there are others we can have a say on. Ultimately, unhealthy food habits could impact our performance during the semester. It is harder for the brain to study when it is not well-nurtured. If our bodies are tired, our minds are too. I am still on this journey of making better decisions; hopefully, you can join me in making little yet empowering food choices and breaking the cycle of “The Student Diet.”


Enjoy a vitamin booster drink or bowl AND save some money while you do so with this coupon!

By Roxanna Cardenas

Roxanna is a Venezuelan writer living in New York City. Her works include essays, poetry, screenplays, and short stories. She explores fiction and non-fiction genres, with a special interest in horror and sci-fi. She has an A.A. in Writing and Literature and is working on her B.A. in English with a Creative Writing concentration.


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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How “college hunger” or food insecurity shows that universities are failing their students

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

The New York Times wrote a piece titled: “Tuition or Dinner?” in 2019, which revealed that nearly 50 percent of university students surveyed suffered from food insecurity in the past 30 days. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active life. Affordability is positioned at the center of every student’s life. I want to start by saying I do understand that being able to go to college is a privilege that unfortunately, due to the astronomical cost it takes to even pursue post-secondary education in the U.S., many do not have. 

Yet, this does not change the fact that college has practically become a requirement in most job markets. So, often enough, many teenagers are put in a position in which they not only have to shoulder debt but now have to factor food in an already stressful and drastic period of change.

There is also the fact that 18-year-old freshmen in their dorm room aren’t the main college demographic: according to a 2014 study done by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, one in every four college student has a child. As students, we are fed a certain narrative, to the point of nearly romanticizing this kind of “down on your luck,” charming-mess attitude when it comes to living. We are constantly told that thrift and affordability are normal parts of our twenties; we joke about the ramen we have stockpiled under our bed, the pizza we pick up in between classes, the “life hacks” we can use to skip out on meals. 

But when we pass off “thrift” as a normal part of student life, we add “hunger” to the culture of stress, anxiety, and depression that distort college education. 

How "college hunger" shows that universities are failing their students
Feeding America estimates that 1 in every 9 Americans were food insecure in 2018, equating to over 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children. Image from Berea College “Hunger Hurts” Food Drive.

Many schools have created short term solutions. While this list is by no means comprehensive, here are some organizations you can go to, as well as some general resources if you are looking for free or discounted meals. 

  • I used Share Meals during my freshman year to donate my remaining meal swipes. Share Meals is an app that connects university students to free food at events, students with unused meal swipes, and other resources to help mitigate food insecurity.
  • Schools within the city like The New School, George Washington University, and City University of New York work with food pantries to have designated locations for students to get free food.
  • Often, colleges have Facebook Pages connecting students with events for free food. Here is my university’s.
  • Look for coupon booklets at your local university! Campus Clipper circulates in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. 

However, this does not change the fact that these are band-aid solutions for a widespread problem. When we excuse hunger and mental illness as a normal part of college life, we allow the institutions that exacerbate food insecurity not only in their students but in the community, to continue scott-free. 

Why are meal plans so expensive? Why are the attempts at building university-wide meal programs so slow-moving? Why are students the ones who have to start organizations like Share Meals and Swipe Out Hunger to bail out the failings of the college education system to provide for its students? 

Making food insecurity and college “hunger” a “normal” part of college positions the student as the failure, the incompetent, when they go hungry. Food insecurity is a failing of the American college system, and especially given these times, it is important to start implementing long term solutions. 

Campus Clipper helps connect students with discounts near them. For example, Two Boots Pizza is Buy one Get one Free with coupon and student ID.

Two Boots Campus Clipper Coupon Booklet
Click here to download the coupon!

You can find all of our active coupons at this link. Redeem them here:


By: Jessica Xing

Jessica is a senior at New York University majoring in English Literature. She has bylines in Vox, EGMNOW, and Electric Literature, and in her free time, she loves watching bad T.V. 

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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