The food environment is one of the major factors that students consider while choosing what to eat. It includes elements such as food access, the price of food in the outlets, transportation, and food availability. College students like buying certain foods if they are readily available to them (Alakaam et al., 2015). Additionally, food availability makes students make decisions on what food to take if they are having a variety of choices.
Individual preferences determine the choice of food or drink as well. Some students will buy food that conforms to the native influence of culture, while others will buy for quality. Gender also plays a role in choosing meals depending on the group affiliation they lie to (Reyes, 2010). For example, ladies like eating frequently, and most of the female students will join the click due to peer pressure.
The other factor that influences what college students eat is time. For example, due to busy academic schedules, they may opt not to cook or prepare meals to meet time ranges. Another important factor that defines the eating habits for college students is the study level (Howard et al., 2015). Most of the time, the students in their third or fourth years and above are associated with extreme alcohol consumption. To some extent, they feel that is a nice way to show that they are grown and no longer new in campus life.
Another factor that may define what to eat for college students is personal health, such as avoiding food with high calories and processed elements. The measure is for the goal of avoiding foodborne diseases such as obesity. (Mann & Blotnicky, 2016). Generally, eating habits of college students are defined by religion, time, preferences, food environment, level of study the gender, personal health obligations, among other factors.
References
Alakaam, A.A., Castellanos, D. C., Bodzio, J., & Harrison, L. (2015). International students’ eating habits and food practices in colleges and universities. Journal of International Students, 5(2), 104-120.
Howard, A. L., Patrick, M. E., & Maggs, J. L. (2015). College student affect and heavy drinking: Variable associations across days, semesters, and people. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, (2), 430.
Mann, L., & Blotnicky, K. (2016). University students’ eating behaviors: An exploration of influences. College Student Journal, 50(4), 489-500.
Reyes, A. M. (2010). Influences on college students’ eating habits. The University of Arizona. Web.