Time Restraints and the College Diet

“The most common barrier to food preparation was lack of time, reported by 36% of young adults …” -Larson

What Students Are Saying…• "Um, probably when time dictates, I have a very busy schedule so I

usually eat when I have time not necessarily if I’m hungry or not”

• "I don’t have time to make something that i feel would take a while, like chicken,  then I don't bother making it, if I’m hungry I usually want something immediate and fast”

• "I don’t cooks that much(pause) here [at school].  Because I feel like I’m busy.  And when I’m not busy I’m tired.  So I don’t feel like cooking.  I used to like to cook more, now I don’t as much

• I’m on the go constantly so that’s [fast food] sometimes my only option and the fact that it’s there is convenient so I don’t have to go all day without eating, I can get something on my way somewhere instead of taking a half-hour, forty-five minutes out of my day to make something."

Food Preparation

• Value of Time• Acquisition of food prep skills• Personal Drive and Desire

Alternatives

• Ready to Eat Campus Options• Off Campus Options• Ready to Heat At Home Options

In Five Minutes…

What’s Fast?

Not so far off from findings…

What’s Sex Got To Do With It?

• 2009 study found men eat at fast food restaurants more than women because of

--“limited time,” “enjoy taste,” “eat with family/friends,” and “inexpensive and economical.”