Healthy living

Students have become more conscientious than their parents and grandparents when it comes to what they eat according to new research conducted by kitchen specialists, Magnet.

These days, they appear to be taking university more seriously and are prioritising their health over nights out and takeaways.

A whopping 69% of students said their food choices have been driven by the rise of food trends such as eating ‘clean’ and ‘raw’, with 33% of students now committed to make a ‘conscious effort to eat healthier food’ since the trends emerged. More than one in five (21%) have completely cut out foods that they deem are now ‘too unhealthy’.

Many students are also making the decision to go vegetarian and vegan. In fact, students are six times more likely than parents to have made the switch.

When asked how long students spend prepping and cooking their meals, the average was 30 minutes per day – a far cry from the pot-noodle-slurping stereotype of the average student. Students are spending more time in the kitchen, considering their intake of food and are prepared to spend more time and money on nutritious produce.

When asked what specific ‘health foods’ students stock in their cupboards, the results revealed the following: turmeric (30%), chickpeas (36%), cacao (12%), dried seaweed (8%), energy balls (7%), wheatgrass (6%), spirulina (6%) and yeast flakes (6%).