Broke college students can also have healthy meals on a budget

Obesity and malnutrition have become a public health concern in developing nations. In Kenya, a recent study found the prevalence of obesity to be 60 per cent among urban residents and 19 per cent in rural areas, a majority of them women.

And, according to the Health ministry, 26 per cent of children in Kenya are stunted due to lack of food and poor nutrition. I have noticed that young people often struggle with healthy eating.

To be a health-conscious person, one needs to follow a routine.

A diversified diet is a good place to start. This is a diet that consists of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and other vital minerals.

Eating well on a budget is possible with proper planning and consideration of other factors— including income, time, and food and cooking skills.

Many young people struggle to achieve diversified diets due to their poor shopping habits.

Oftentimes, young people stock up on carbohydrates and proteins and forget fruits and vegetables. Apart from a good diet, adequate intake of water is also important.

While you can’t always have a lavish meal every day; you can still maintain a healthy diet on budget. In college, it is common to see students having fast foods— fries, pizza, kebabs, chicken and the like — almost every day.

An occasional snack won’t harm you. However, most of these foods contain trans-fats, which are unhealthy as they increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and other obesity-related complications.

One last thing: Food safety. 

In hotels, how often do you stop to check the environment in which prepare their food?

Food preparation is important to your nutrition. It is for this reason that those in charge should ensure all places that serve human food handle it safely.

We may think that nutrition and healthy living is esoteric but it’s not. 

It is the simple things that we will do now that will determine our health in the near future. Take charge mate.

Mercy is a third-year student at Kenyatta University studying food, nutrition and dietetics.

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