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One Week Menu Plan for College Education Students

Britney S. Kreikemeier

Department of Technology and Applied Science, Wayne State College

FCS 205 Meal Management

Dr. Carol Erwin

February 29, 2024

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One Week Menu Plan for College Education Students

For my 1-week menu plan, I am doing my future living arrangements this summer and

next year. This population includes a 22-year-old male, 21-year-old male, and two 21-year-old

women, that have a sedentary activity level. The only dietary concern in this population is that

the 21-year-old male is allergic to carrots. For selecting menu plans, I have chosen healthy and

balanced meals that meet MyPlate food group recommendations, while keeping in mind budget

restrictions. According to the MyPlate website, the planning tools states that both of the male

students need a recommended diet of 2600 calories, while the women only need 2000 calories.

For a 2000 calorie diet, it’s recommended that the students need 2 cups fruit, 2 and a half cups

vegetables, 6 ounces of grains, 5 and a half ounces of protein, and 3 cups dairy. For a 2600

calorie diet, it’s recommended that the students need 2 cups fruit, 3 and a half cups vegetables, 9

ounces of grain, 6 and a half ounces of protein, and 3 cups dairy. For these recipes, I tried to find

healthy, nutrient-dense, and cheap recipes that college students would be willing to try and

enjoy.

Based on the information found in the Part 1 research paper, “a positive correlation

between healthy eating habits, especially daily or almost daily breakfast consumption, and self -

reposted GPA” (Reuter, 2021, pg. 925). Many college students often face the difficulty of not

having a thorough education about nutrition and essential culinary abilities required for self-

cooking in the kitchen. Numerous students begin their college journey with limited knowledge of

fundamental nutrition concepts or practical cooking methods, opting instead for convenient yet

frequently less healthy alternatives. Moreover, students might experience feelings of intimidation

or being overwhelmed by the idea of preparing meals from scratch, which further sustains their
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reliance on less nutritious food selections. Another challenge that college students face when it

comes to cooking healthy and nutrient-rich foods for themselves is budgetary confinements.

Establishing an attainable food budget can alleviate financial pressure, promote organization

among students, and mitigate overspending.

I have created a one-week plan that is on my Weebly site, but I have created a separate

page for all the materials needed for this menu plan. I have created 3 meals a day for 7 days

menu plan, along with recipes, nutritional reports, evaluations, and a grocery list. My range in

nutritional food groups, color, texture, temperature, and flavors. I create healthy meals that

college students would be likely to try and afford with substitutions to certain ingredients. With a

little bit of research, I found that parsnips are a great substitute for carrots, because they have a

similar taste. So, any recipe that includes carrots has a note to replace with parsnips for my

specific population. When completing my grocery list, I selected mostly store brand products,

because they tend to be cheaper with similar qualities to name brand. Taking this step to select

specific products will make this menu plan's application into the lives of college students' event

more effective. I selected recipes and meals that had 4 servings so that would eliminate leftovers,

but the chicken noodle soup is 8 servings so we would save the other half to eat for the next

day’s dinner. The importance of having creative and flavorful meals lies in the ability to elevate

not just our taste buds but also our overall dining exerpeinces, fostering a sense of joy,

satisfaction, and a deeper connection to the diverse and vibrant world of culinary possibilities.
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References

Çelik, Ö. M., Şahin, G. A., & Gürel, S. (2023). Do cooking and food preparation skills affect

healthy eating in college students? Food Science and Nutrition, 11(10), 5898–5907.

https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3591

MyPlate Plan | MyPlate. (n.d.). https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan

Nani, M. O. (2016). Relationship between nutrition knowledge and food intake of college

students (Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University ).

Reuter, P. R., Forster, B. L., & Brister, S. R. (2021). The influence of eating habits on the

academic performance of university students. Journal of American College Health,

69(8), 921–927. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1715986

Werner, E., & Betz, H. H. (2022). Knowledge of physical activity and nutrition

recommendations in college students. Journal of American College Health, 70(2), 340– 346.

https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1750412

Wes. (2022, September 29). Eating healthy on a budget. University Health Center.

https://healthcenter.uga.edu/eating-healthy-on-a-budget /