College students face several challenges regarding nutrition and healthy eating, including the abundance of fast food around campus and the high costs of meals. Some students may arrive at college without knowing how to prepare food for themselves, making them more dependent on fast food.
The dorm life also creates an obstacle for acquiring balanced meals as the dorms include less storage for fresh produce that requires refrigeration.
To combat these issues, the Knox County Health Department recently established a new website with more than 60 recipes that promote healthy eating. The recipes are beneficial for students as it allows them to incorporate these ideas into their meals.
“The Knox County Health Department N.E.A.T. recipe page consists of meal and snack ideas hand-picked by our team of Registered Dietitians, so users can be confident knowing that they are selecting recipes that are simple, culturally relevant, budget-friendly, and nutritious,” Kelsey Wilson, director of community relations for Knox County, said.
Knox County’s main goal is to prioritize proper nutrition by encouraging healthy habits as the menus combine fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy.
“We realized that not everyone had experience cooking with the fruits and vegetables distributed, and many families wanted to find new ways to eat them,” Wilson said.
The balanced menus are easily accessible for anyone to use. They create fun and new ways for students and the general population to adopt smart eating habits. Students also benefit from these menus by becoming more knowledgeable about easy recipes they can make at home with little preparation and cost.
“I think it is especially good for students because it offers more resources to learn more about healthy eating and provides new recipes,” Ava Laug, a sophomore studying accounting, said.
Once the habits are formed, people can reference the recipes provided to maintain their habits and continue to develop even healthier and varied habits.
Knox County seeks to create a positive perspective on healthy eating and to make students realize it is easier than they think. The creation of this platform helps students gain a better understanding of how to feel more confident when picking out items at a store.
“We want individuals to feel inspired to try new foods and cook at home,” Wilson said. “We understand that it can be intimidating to purchase fruits and vegetables you may never have tried or seen before, so our goal is to bridge the gap between buying and actually consuming these foods in a delicious way.”
A challenging part of finding a personalized meal plan is knowing where to start. It can seem daunting to figure out how to develop ingredients effectively into a balanced meal. Finding something enjoyable to eat while obtaining adequate ingredients is also difficult.
Given this difficulty, the new recipes give direct instructions and the exact ingredients for each delicious meal. Listing the ingredients and steps is also helpful for students who have specific eating habits and allergies.
Knox County aims to increase awareness of this webpage since this is a new initiative and encourages individuals to share these recipes with friends and families. Recipe ideas can be sent to [email protected], and more information can be found on their website.
