Nutritional science majors cook more meals, eat more fruits and vegetables, and consume less fast food than non-majors. A survey found nutritional science seniors cooked an average of 10.6 meals per week, significantly more than non-majors. Focus groups with seniors revealed they cook more now due to life changes in the college environment like living independently, improved time management skills, and knowledge gained from nutritional courses.

1. Cooking Meals More Frequently, Eating More Fruits and Vegetables, and Less
Fast-Foods among Students in Nutritional Sciences Majors than Non-majors
Brittney R. Taylor1, Benjamin T. Pope4, Alexandra M. Franklin1, Preston R. Harris1, Bobby Wyatt2, Amanda McDaniels1, Jill
Lewis1, Nobuko Hongu1,3
1The University of Arizona, Department of Nutritional Sciences, 2The University of Arizona, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 3The
University of Arizona, Cooperative Extension, College of Public Health, 4Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Background
• Research shows that cooking meals improves diet quality among young adults, who may also be students.
• There is limited evidence that undergraduate students in nutrition or dietetics programs cook more meals while they are
learning about foods and food impact on human health.
Objective
To examine the types and frequency of meal preparations among undergraduate students in the nutritional sciences department
and other departments in a University.
I. Survey
Participants: College students
• Nutritional Science majors (n=238), Non-Nutritional
Science majors (n=91)
11 Survey Questions:
Demographics, consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fast
food (ready-to-eat food), living situation, number of prepared
meals per week, and types of cooking techniques used
(cooking or simple meal preparation).
Cooking types:
1) Cooking: meal preparation activities such as washing,
chopping, mixing, roasting, and seasoning.
2) Preparing: using a microwave, or making a bowl of
cereal.
Environment change:
“I cook more now, living in the dorms - it was difficult to cook.”
“Instead of microwave, I make stuff now, on the stove.”
“I make a lot more of my food; I lived in the dorm freshman year (meal plan); I cook more now.”
Learning time management:
“Now, I make time to cook.”
“I have been more organized with making lunch, more efficient and economical.”
“I felt overwhelmed with managing time in college. I ate a lot of frozen or pre-prepared food before. Then I
learned how to organize myself better. I prefer cooking fresh food now.”
Learning about food in class:
“I get a little healthier every day as a result of learning.”
“Protein intake has changed since I was a freshman, because of a diabetes assignment Mary gave us.”
“I incorporate more fats. Freshman year I thought it just made you fat, but I use more olive oil and almond
butter into my meals.”
“I try to exclude processed foods and try to make foods from scratch instead of buying anything frozen, just
because I learned how much sodium it has.”
A change in financial situation:
“I have more money to spend on fruits and veggies.”
“I have to meal prep so I don’t spend money.”
“Now I don’t have a meal plan. Now if I want to eat out,
I have to spend my money from my paycheck.”
An increase in skills:
“I hardly knew how to cook as a freshman.”
“I learned some cooking skills in Sparks’s lab.”
“I roast fish more than when I was a freshman.”
“Now it’s [my cooking] more involved, more intricate.”
Conclusions
There were significant associations between Nutritional Science
majors compared to Non-Nutritional Science Majors in regards to
cooking meals, eating fruits and vegetables more often, and
consuming less fast food. Combined with evidence from the focus
groups, undergraduate students in nutrition or dietetics programs
cook more meals not only because they are learning about foods, but
also potentially due to professional development obtained from the
college experience, such as increased time management, cooking, and
budgeting skills.
UA Dorm Kitchen
Results
We asked about: cooking habits, factors affecting cooking habits, things that have changed with
cooking habits since freshman year, and why they have changed.
The following 5 themes of life changes were mentioned by the senior
Nutritional Science students in the focus groups:
10.1
10.5 10.8
11.3
7
8
9
10
11
12
Freshman (+/-
5.5)
Sophomores (+/-
6.5)
Juniors (+/- 4.7) Seniors (+/- 6.2)
Average Number of Nutrition Major’s Cooked Meals Per
Week by Grade Level
Common Student Apartment Kitchen
•Shared with over 140 people
•Long walk from dorm room
•No refrigerator
•No storage
•Limited appliances
•Shared with 2-5 people
•Short walk from bedroom
•Full-size refrigerator
•Lots of cabinet storage
•Potential for varied appliances
References
Thorpe, Maree G., et al. "Diet
quality in young adults and its
association with food-related
behaviours." Public health
nutrition 17.08 (2014): 1767-1775.
Contact
Brittney R. Taylor
britrochtay@email.arizona.edu
6
10.5 9.9
7.1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Dorm (+/- 5, n
= 59)
Aparment,
House, Condo,
Etc. (+/- 5.4,
n= 263)
With Parents,
Relatives, or
Spouse (+/-
5.2, n=54)
Other (+/- 8.5,
n=7)
Average Number of Cooked Meals per Week by
Living Situation
31% in Dorms 85%* 82%* 69%*
*in Apartment, House, Condo, Etc.
Statistics:
Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were
used to analyze data.
II. Focus Group
Participants: College students
• Senior Nutritional Science majors (n=27)
8 Focus Group Questions:
Cooking habits, factors affecting cooking habits, things that
have changed with cooking habits since freshman year, and
why they have changed.
Methods
2.5
2
2.4
1.8
3.1
3.5
0
2
4
F - NM F - NNM V - NM V - NNM FF - NM FF - NNM
Fruit (F) and Vegetable (V) Serving Consumption
per Day and Fast Food (FF) Consumption per
Week By Nutrition Majors (NM) and Non-
Nutrition Majors (NNM)
10.6
8
7
9.1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Cooked -
Nutrition
Major
Cooked - Non-
Nutrition
Major
Prepared -
Nutrition
Major
Prepared -
Non-Nutrition
Major
Number of Cooked and Prepared Meals per
Week by Major