Meal Prepping or Fast Food?

EDINBURG – A local nutritionist shared healthy and affordable food options for students with busy schedules to fulfill their nutritional needs. With finals around the corner, are students fueling up properly?

Lisa Salinas, a UTRGV clinical assistant professor and registered dietician nutritionist, spoke about the benefits of prepping a meal at home rather than purchasing fast-food.

“Specifically in the nutrition field, when we talk about cooking at home, we are talking about using easy ingredients that hopefully most of the time support for good health,” Salinas said. “I think that we talk mainly that you have plenty of whole grains, plenty of fruits or vegetables, lean meats or proteins.”

KVAQ-TV asked a few students for insight into their eating habits: meal prepping or fast food?

Alizzaya Guel, a theater freshman, said the Edinburg campus should provide more healthy options and a buffet inside of the Student Union that adds variety for individuals.

“They [UTRGV] have some healthy options, but I think we can use more. I think the [Student] Union can use more of an open buffet that way everyone can have more dining options,” Guel said.

Kiera Garcia, a psychology freshman, said one of the main reasons that college students do not meal prep is due to stress and time management.

“It’s very much about stress and time,” Garcia said. “So, a lot of students are very stressed with exams and just college life in general to the point to where they don’t have time to meal prep at home and they don’t think about that and just go to the Student Union to purchase a meal.”

Salinas recommends college students to keep meals simple, add beans to meals as they provide high fiber and antioxidants. She also said trail mixes are a simple and budget friendly snack to make with your choice of ingredients. She said students can include fruits and vegetables in their day-to-day meals to add extra nutrition.

KVAQ-TV reached out to the director of UTRGV Food Services for an interview about the food options available to students and the director declined the interview.

The Dining Hall on the Edinburg campus provides students with a variety of food to choose from, with flexible menus for those who have allergens or food restrictions.

On the Brownsville campus, El Comedor offers a wide range of rich proteins such as beef, chicken, pork and fish. Visit CDC nutrition for more information.