How students can make smarter food choices on campus

College offers students a lot of freedom when choosing what to eat, but according to Corey Flynn, program manager for the Office of Sustainability, getting the right nutrients is critical for their health and success. 

“Students need to eat,” Flynn said. “They need healthy food for their brains and their physical and mental health.” 

Flynn, who has a daughter at Pitt, said she is always thinking about how students can access affordable ingredients to make home-cooked meals. 

“There is a great Mexican grocery store on Atwood called Las Palmas,” Flynn said. “They have fantastic food and great produce at an affordable price. A student can get a bag of rice, a couple cans of beans and vegetables to chop up and cook. That’s a full meal that’s good for your body and for the environment.” 

Meg Mayer-Costa, a registered dietitian in Pitt’s Student Health Services, said she regularly meets with students to talk about their dietary needs. She also helps students plan how they can get and use groceries. 

“We’ll talk about how they’ll get to the grocery store, or if they’ll get their groceries delivered and how often,” Mayer-Costa said. “I really try to get students to do shorter, more frequent shoppings so they can build up their confidence.” 

When Mayer-Costa meets with students, regardless of whether they have a meal plan or not, she emphasizes the importance of balance and how foods complement each other. 

“If someone says to me, ‘I feel bad because I ate all carbs,’ I’m going to say ‘Instead of feeling bad about it, let’s ask what’s missing,’” Mayer-Costa said. “After eating cereal or a bagel, we can think about what nutrients we may be missing. We can add some fruit or protein to complement the carbs.”

Mayer-Costa said that classifying foods as “healthy” or “unhealthy” is a complex topic that can inflict guilt.

“When we talk about food, we have to think of the context,” Mayer-Costa said. “For example, salad is often classified as ‘healthy,’ but without other foods, it doesn’t do a lot for you. It’s the complement of foods to one another which makes it work.”

For students with a meal plan, there are many food options to choose from in the dining halls. Flynn said that students should prioritize drinking water and eating “whole foods.”

“We’re all attracted to sugary or caffeinated beverages, but water is key to our health,” Flynn said. “As for whole foods, the dining halls have a salad bar, grilled chicken and baskets of fruits that are easy to grab and go, which is a great option for students.” 

For many students who live off campus and have to cook for themselves, it can be hard to know where to go to get groceries. Mark Rhoge, a senior neuroscience major, feels that there are many options near Pitt’s campus. 

“You have Giant Eagle, Aldi and Costco nearby,” Rhoge said. “In South Oakland, you have ​​Groceria Merante, which has everything that you could need.” 

Rhoge is training for the Philadelphia Marathon in November. He said that consistency is most important during his training.

“Making good food choices helps my thought process throughout training,” Rhoge said. “I’m doing the best thing for myself and continuing to show up, and the results are there.”

Rhoge said he likes to eat before and after his runs. He also prioritizes carbs, especially before his runs, to help his energy levels. 

“It’s important to fuel before, during and after my runs,” Rhoge said. “I make sure that I’m getting carbs before, caffeine during my run and protein afterwards.” 

With many fast-food chain restaurants near Pitt’s campus, Mayer-Costa said that it’s important that students “focus on balance.”

“We can be intentional about drinking sugary soda or a trip to Layne’s,” Mayer-Costa said. “Instead of eating fast food every day, making the choice to only eat it once a week can get you excited about it and be more intentional about when you consume it.”

Between balancing challenging classes and a social life, Rhoge said it’s important that students are prioritizing their nutrition to help them succeed. 

“As a college student, I’ve seen the difficulties with college life and school, and I think it’s important to maintain physical and mental health,” Rhoge said. “I think having consistency helps you maintain a balanced life.”