For millions of students, leaving home for university is one of the biggest transitions of their lives. It is challenging as well as exciting. Along with new friends, a new environment and new freedom comes one surprisingly new change– the food on their plate. Whether you are eating your mother’s dal and rice or standing in a long queue in a mess with a steel tray in your hand, what you eat is about far more than appetite. It shapes your health, your mood and your ability to study.
It is imperative to remember that our brain and body work simultaneously to enable us to perform our routine activities. The food we consume fuels these activities. Student well-being is heavily dependent on the kind of food one consumes and this factor is often disregarded. Wholesome nutrition facilitates positive feelings in students and helps them engage in and handle situations. It influences energy levels, attention and emotions. Students who enjoy a healthy and balanced diet demonstrate steadier focus, productivity and fewer mood fluctuations. However, poor diet correlates with fatigue, difficulty concentrating and higher rates of anxiety and depression.
Home-cooked meals are built on familiarity and care. They are nutritionally balanced, freshly prepared and tailored to our dietary needs, tastes and preferences. They ensure consistent intake of essential nutrients and help avoid hidden sugars and excess salts. They also carry mother’s love and care which, though invisible, are the very elements that make them delectable. Eating food prepared by family carries comfort and a sense of belonging. Research says regular home meals lower stress levels and lead to better mental health outcomes in young adults.
Hostel or mess food is prepared on a large scale, making it difficult to maintain nutritional variety. Meals are often repetitive, lacking fresh produce, undercooked or even tasteless. As a result, students often resort to instant noodles, packaged items, and late-night deliveries which are unhealthier options but more convenient ones. This leads to weakening of the immune system, high blood pressure and poor focus. Some students also skip meals, leading to severe health issues. Moreover, mess food also lacks an emotional connection and personal touch.
With that being said, hostel food also has underrated advantages. It exposes us to regional cuisines, expands our food choices, encourages communal eating and builds a kind of independence and adaptability. Learning to eat whatever is available and making do with whatever you have is quite a life skill. The goal is not to idealise home food and dismiss hostel food but for students to become conscious eaters. Small, deliberate choices like picking fruits over a pack of chips, staying hydrated, not skipping meals and avoiding midnight snacking before examinations make a difference.
Food is the cornerstone of student success. In the formative years, as a student, it is very important to have a healthy and balanced diet. Food is not just what fills the stomach; it is what drives the mind, steadies the mood and also shapes the individual a student is becoming.
Rishika Agarwal
Class XII-C2
