The college offers its students a lot of freedom in their dietary choices, but according to Corey Flynn, program manager for the Office of Sustainability, getting the right nutrients is critical to 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 University, said she is always thinking about how students can get affordable ingredients to prepare home-cooked meals.
“There’s a great Mexican grocery store in Atwood called Las Palmas,” Flynn said. “They have fantastic food and great products 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 complete meal that’s good for your body and good for the environment.”
Meg Mayer-Costa, a registered dietitian in Pitt’s Student Health Services, said she meets with students regularly to discuss their nutritional needs. She also helps students plan how to shop for and use food.
“We talk about how they get to the grocery store or if and how often they get their groceries delivered,” Mayer-Costa said. “I really try to get students to make shorter, more frequent shopping trips so they can build their confidence.”
When Mayer-Costa meets with students, whether they are on a meal plan or not, she emphasizes the importance of balance and complementing different foods.
“If someone says to me, ‘I feel bad because I’ve only eaten carbs,’ I say, ‘Instead of feeling bad about it, let’s ask ourselves what’s missing,'” Mayer-Costa said. “After eating cereal or a bagel, we can think about what nutrients we might be missing. We can add some fruit or protein to supplement the carbs.”
Mayer-Costa said classifying foods as “healthy” or “unhealthy” is a complex issue that can lead to feelings of guilt.
“When we talk about food, we have to consider the context,” said Mayer-Costa. “Salad, for example, is often described as ‘healthy,’ but without other foods it doesn’t do much good. It’s the complementarity of the foods that makes them successful.”
For students on a meal plan, there are many food options to choose from in the dining halls. Flynn said students should prioritize drinking water and eating “whole foods.”
“We all like sugary or caffeinated drinks, but water is key to our health,” Flynn said. “As for whole foods, the dining halls have a salad bar, grilled chicken and grab-and-go fruit baskets, which is a great option for students.”
For many students who live off campus and must cook for themselves, figuring out where to shop for groceries is difficult. Mark Rhoge, a final-year neuroscience student, believes there are plenty of options near the Pitt campus.
“Giant Eagle, Aldi and Costco are close by,” Rhoge said. “In South Oakland, there’s Groceria Merante, which has everything you need.”
Rhoge is training for the Philadelphia Marathon in November. He said consistency in training is the most important thing.
“Eating right helps me think while I’m training,” Rhoge said. “I’m doing what’s best for me and I’m still performing, and the results are there.”
Rhoge said he likes to eat before and after his runs. He also pays special attention to carbohydrates to maintain his energy levels, especially before his runs.
“It’s important to fuel before, during and after my runs,” Rhoge said. “I make sure I have carbohydrates before the run, caffeine during the run and protein afterward.”
Since there are many fast-food restaurant chains near the Pitt campus, it is important for students to “pay attention to balance,” Mayer-Costa said.
“We can consciously drink sugary sodas or go to Layne’s,” Mayer-Costa said. “Instead of eating fast food every day, choosing to eat it only once a week can make you look forward to it and be more conscious about when you eat it.”
Between balancing demanding classes and a social life, it’s important that students prioritize their nutrition to be successful, Rhoge said.
“As a student, I’ve experienced the difficulties of college life and school, and I think it’s important to stay physically and mentally healthy,” Rhoge said. “I think consistency helps with living a balanced life.”
