More About Food & Housing Insecurity

"Being a college student can be a fun, but also challenging, time in adults lives. There are many stressors in a student's life that are normal. Stress over affording food is not. Despite the stereotype that exists of the 'starving college student,' higher education students should not have to skip meals or lack a nutritious diet to make ends meet."

Utahns Against Hunger Website

In 2019, over 10% of Utah County's population was food insecure. An additional $33M would be required annually to help resolve this issue. Feeding America researches community-level data to provide up-to-date information on food insecurity rates in local areas as well as resources which can be used to help those who are food insecure.

Feeding America Website

"The problem, of course, is that most student meals aren’t actually meals (example: a handful of Starbursts for breakfast). They don’t have the proper balance of protein, fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy, and they certainly fall short of providing the appropriate nutrients. If you want students to eat well, what they really need is a real meal."

BYU News Article: Hey students, when is the last time you had a real meal?

"During the transition from adolescence to adulthood, changes in dietary intake and other health-related behaviors may lead to decreased diet quality and increased weight, which makes young adults an important target for nutrition education interventions."

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Article

"Someone who is food insecure may budget for food but still not have enough money or other resources to maintain the food supply they need for a healthy diet. For college students in our study, this often manifested as relying on non-perishable foods like ramen noodles, rice and beans when funds were low or when their food supply varied throughout the month or from paycheck to paycheck."

BYU News Food Insecurity Q&A