"Eat Healthy," They Vowed, but U.S. College Students Cut Back on Meals Over Costly Healthy Food [The World Is Z Now]

(84) U.S. Gen Z Prioritizes Health
They Want Healthy Food but Give Up Because of the Financial Burden
"Economic realities are getting in the way of Gen Z's ideal diets"

Editor's NoteGen Z (people born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s) is attracting attention as a generation that leads culture and trends in a rapidly changing era and sets new standards across society. In [The World Is Z Now], we explore the lives and values of Gen Z around the world and examine how they are changing society.

"I want to eat healthy, but it's too expensive. I'd rather go hungry."

Gen Z college students in the United States want to eat healthily but are giving it up because of the financial burden. Healthy food costs more than regular food, and grocery prices are also rising, leading more students to cut back on meals or replace them with snacks.

9 in 10 U.S. College Students Have Cut Food Spending or Skipped Meals

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According to Fortune, a U.S. business magazine, interest in healthy food is growing among Gen Z as fitness-related trends such as "protein-maxxing," or maximizing protein intake, gain popularity. The magazine noted, "Boy Kibble, a simple meal of ground beef and rice eaten in large quantities to build muscle, is one example," adding, "But economic realities are getting in the way of Gen Z's ideal diets." "Boy Kibble" literally means "food for boys" and refers to a simple, high-protein meal that does not get old even when eaten every day.

In fact, many college students want to eat healthily but are concerned about the high cost. In a survey of 1,000 U.S. college students aged 18 to 25 conducted by snack brand Nature's Garden and market research firm Wired Research, 85% of respondents said they "want a healthier diet." However, 83% believed that "a healthy diet costs more than an unhealthy one." The share who said they "would spend more on healthy groceries if money were no object" also reached 58%.

Ultimately, the problem is cost. Students say that even if they want to choose healthy food, they have no choice but to cut food spending when they consider the various expenses of college life. Nine in 10 students who had been in college for at least a year said they had cut back on grocery shopping or skipped meals to pay for expenses such as utilities, rent, and tuition.

Daniel Sherman, CEO of Wired Research, said, "Gen Z wants to make healthier choices, but limited budgets and tight schedules are putting those goals at odds with reality." Naz Akdilek, senior manager of marketing planning and strategy at Nature's Garden, also said, "With students facing various challenges, including financial pressures and packed schedules, food spending has become another area where they have to make careful choices."

U.S. College Students Spend More Than 2.7 Million Won on Food Per Semester; Healthy Food Is an Even Greater Burden

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Healthy foods, in particular, tend to cost more than regular foods. A joint study published in March by the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic and Yuka, an app that analyzes product ingredients, compared the prices and nutritional content of more than 800 packaged foods, including cereal and bread, and pizza. It found that products considered relatively healthier tended to cost more. For example, bread without high-risk additives cost an average of 28% more than bread containing them. Cereal without high-risk additives also cost an average of 65% more than cereal containing them.

The burden has grown further as grocery prices have risen overall. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), grocery prices in August were up 2.2% from a year earlier. In other words, choosing healthier products comes with an additional cost, while rising grocery prices are also increasing the food burden on college students.

Excluding campus meals and similar options, college students spent an average of $136.10 a week on food and snacks. That amounts to more than $2,000 (about 2.7 million won) per semester.

Only 24% Eat Three Meals a Day; Some Replace Meals with Snacks

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As a result, some college students are replacing meals with snacks. Among the Gen Z college students who took part in the survey, only 24% said they ate three regular meals every day during the semester. More than half said they sometimes used snacks instead of meals.

Despite wanting to eat healthily, students are increasingly opting for quick and simple meals because of tight budgets. They are also trying to reduce spending within their limited budgets by comparing prices when grocery shopping or choosing less expensive brands.

Meanwhile, some analyses suggest that financial pressure could fuel anxiety among younger generations over the long term. Dayo Abinusa, founder of the London Business School (LBS), said, "The uncertainty and anxiety caused by persistent inflation will leave psychological scars on Gen Z."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.