University Students Now Have A Healthier Diet Than Ever Before

PA

Gone are the days of instant noodles, leftover pizza and beans on toast being the staple diet for students, because apparently, they’re a lot healthier now.

Researchers have found students are actually eating meals cooked from scratch at least five times a week, they’re not simply microwaving a half-eaten doner kebab and cheesy chips from the night before.

The study also found today’s university students are ‘more likely’ to buy items such as olive oil, herbs, fresh fruit and veg – which isn’t overly surprising, we know millennials love an avocado.

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And get this, more than a third of students consider themselves better in the kitchen than their own parents.

45 per cent of those who studied within the past ten years reckon they had a healthy diet while at university, with just 38 per cent of older generations agreeing.

63 per cent of students said their healthy diet comes from having a better education of food, while 62 per cent think access to a wider range of ingredients helps.

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Half of participants said they believe a healthier and more varied diet at university is down to students being able to use the internet to find cheap and easy recipes through food websites, blogs and social media.

46 per cent considered fresh vegetables a kitchen staple, while another 44 per cent said they always buy fresh fruit.

2,000 students and graduates were involved in the study which was commissioned by Linda McCartney Foods as part of its meat-free Fresher’s Week campaign.

16 per cent of students said they were vegetarian and a further 19 per cent said they would consider becoming veggie, so it’s no surprise to see more meat substitutes are being sold.

The number of students purchasing vegetarian or vegan food has more than doubled, with six per cent of students buying them in the past compared to 13 per cent now.

A spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the survey, said:

Many people perceive students to be people who don’t ever cook and rely on nothing by takeaways, fast food and ready meals to get by during their years at university.

But it seems modern students are becoming more creative and experimental with their food.

Far from the stereotype, many are now cooking meals from scratch and enjoy coming up with own concoctions in the kitchen.

UNILAD