Eating Healthy on Campus

My little brother is 13 years younger than me. Because of this age difference, I’ve always found myself playing the “mom” role without even thinking about it. He’s a few weeks into his freshman year in college now, and I find myself worrying about whether he’s eating right or not. I know for a fact – especially if you’re on a meal plan – that sometimes there are very few healthy food options available on campus, especially late at night, for when my brother likes to snack while he studies.

Five Tips for Getting Healthy Foods on Campus

1. Get involved. When schools are aware that the students and parents want healthy food options to be available, they will be more likely to instigate change. Rather than just wishing for healthier options, you need to be proactive.

   Photo credit: University of Saskatchewan

2. Involve others. It’s likely that there are many other students and parents who feel the same way. Find others who want the same thing, and form a group or task force. The more people involved in asking for change, the better.
3. Get creative. There will always be some people who support the cause but don’t want to be active in the group. Get them to sign a petition for healthier food options, write a letter to the campus newspaper or school board, etc.
4. Employ departments. Each school or college campus has particular departments that may join the effort to bring about healthy food options. Try to work with them to make it happen. Start with such groups as the student body government and health department.
5. Be consistent. Although fighting for change can become frustrating if results don’t happen soon enough, it is important to remain polite and professional. Also, don’t give up easily. Sometimes it takes a while for changes to work their way through the proper channels.

Tips provided by Fresh Healthy Vending (www.freshvending.com), a company specializing in vending machines stocked with healthy options.