When we come to UT as students, we are empowered to control nearly every aspect of our lives. We decide how we spend our time, who we spend it with, and which classes we attend (or don’t attend). Our food choices are one of the most important and influential aspects we have control over.
In particular, students should pay close attention to nutritional information when purchasing groceries or eating out.
Nutrition facts provide an overview of key nutrients, ingredients, and recommended intakes. Learning how to read nutrition labels is an essential part of becoming a more informed consumer.
UT aims to provide students who eat in the cafeteria with options to build a complete meal, but it can be much more difficult to eat a variety of healthy foods if you live off campus. Masu. West Campus does not have the option for students to purchase fresh produce to prepare at home.
“If you want nutritious food, you have to take the bus because all supplies are often in short supply outside of Target on campus,” said senior computational biology student Sai Ponnapalli. Told.
Checking the nutrition facts can help you reach your dietary goals. Making an informed plan based on these factors takes the guesswork out of creating your shopping list and makes it easier to make healthier choices when you’re in a hurry.
“I think managing your nutrition is much easier when you have a plan,” Ponnappalli says. “One of the biggest challenges I face is that my days become so busy that I don’t have time to prepare meals in the middle.”
Online resources like food influencers and recipe blogs are a great way to find more information about the foods you’re eating and healthy recipes for your favorite fast food alternatives. Many are designed to minimize cooking time, ingredients, and cleanup time.
“When I’m scrolling on TikTok, I find recipes, but they’re aimed at college students,” said Zoya Farooqi, a sophomore computer science and business student. “It’s easy and you can have it ready for the rest of the week.”
Eating in moderation is important, and the % Daily Value listed on the nutrition label can help you achieve this goal.
Beth Wyden, a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, spoke about the confusion the families she works with experience when shopping.
“My family and I really try to look at different food labels together. Compare what the food labels look like for 100% juice and for juice drinks. Then we look at sugar. Some are like juices with a lot of added in,” Wyden said.
However, students need to understand these things. Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet for the average Americanstudents should adjust them to suit their caloric needs and goals.
“Being a vegetarian, I have noticed that my protein intake has decreased considerably over the past few years,” Ponnapalli said. “There’s a certain type of Pepperidge Farm bread that has more protein. I try to look for that.”
In addition, students can actually shop, UT Grocery Shuttle. While ordering online is definitely more convenient and time-efficient, going to a brick-and-mortar store can help students make better decisions and find healthier alternatives.
“It’s a little harder to shop online because you can go to the grocery store and find everything you want,” Farooqi says.
It’s important to keep nutritional information in mind when purchasing foods, as most foods can fit into a complete meal if planned correctly.
Chandran is a sophomore advertising student from Plano, Texas.
