Gen Z can't afford healthy groceries—many college students skip meals or eat less to cover the bills
Key Takeaways
- •In a survey of 1,000 people commissioned by Nature's Garden and conducted by Wired Research, 85% of college students aged 18 to 25 said they wish they ate healthier, and 58% ranked healthier groceries as their top desired purchase if money were no obstacle.
- •Nine in 10 students who have completed at least one year of college reported reducing food purchases or skipping meals in order to pay bills, rent, or tuition.
- •A March study by Harvard Law School's Food Law and Policy Clinic and the app Yuka found healthier packaged foods cost more, with additive-free bread priced 28% higher and additive-free cereals 65% higher than the cheapest alternatives.
- •Nearly all surveyed students have changed how they shop, with 47% comparing prices more often, 46% choosing cheaper brands, and 27% specifically cutting back on healthy foods, and only 24% regularly eat three meals a day during the school year.
- •Under SNAP rules, college students enrolled at least half time generally cannot receive food assistance unless they qualify for an exemption, such as working an average of at least 20 hours per week.
Gen Z drives trends like protein-maxxing and fitness influencing, paying close attention to's on their plates—loading up on ground beef and rice, the viral muscle-building combination nicknamed "boy kibble." But financial realities are increasingly getting in the way of the generation's idealized eating habits.
A survey of 1,000 people, commissioned by snack brand Nature's Garden and conducted by Wired Research, found that 85% of college students between ages 18 and 25 wish they ate healthier, and 58% said healthier groceries would be the No. 1 thing they would spend more on if money weren't an object. Yet most also believe healthier food is more expensive and report feeling squeezed by everyday costs. The pressure runs deep: nine in 10 students who completed at least one year of college have cut back on buying food or skipped meals to pay for bills, rent, or tuition.
"They want to make healthier choices, but those choices are colliding with the realities of college life, especially tighter budgets and schedules," Danielle Sherman, CEO of Wired Research, said in a statement.
Eating healthier is pricier, so students are cutting back
The belief that nutritious food takes a bigger bite out of the wallet is backed by hard data. A joint study released in March by Harvard Law School's Food Law and Policy Clinic and food-rating app Yuka compared the prices and nutritional value of 805 packaged foods, including cereals, bread, pizza, and snack bars. On average, the options generally considered healthier—those with less sugar and fewer additives linked to cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic illnesses—were more expensive. Bread without additives cost 28% more than bread containing them, while cereals without those additives cost 65% more than the cheapest alternatives.
General food inflation adds another nudge to swap pricier items for cheaper ones. Groceries cost 2.2% more in August than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, extending years of increases that have made the weekly grocery run costlier.
The burden adds up quickly for students already shelling out for tuition. According to the Nature's Garden survey, college sophomores and above spent an average of $136.10 a week on food and snacks outside of any school meal plan they may have—totaling more than $2,000 over a typical 15-week semester.
For students in that position, federal food assistance offers a limited buffer: under SNAP rules, college students enrolled at least half time generally do not qualify unless they meet an exemption, such as working an average of at least 20 hours a week.
Changing carts, changing habits
The food price squeeze is also reshaping what makes it into grocery carts. Nearly all students in the Nature's Garden survey said they have changed the way they shop, with 47% comparing prices more often, 46% opting for cheaper brands, and more than a quarter (27%) specifically cutting back on healthy foods.
These trade-offs come with an emotional cost. Some students reported feeling frustrated by the price of healthy food, while others said they felt guilty about buying whatever was cheapest rather than what was healthiest.
Eating habits have shifted accordingly. Just 24% of the Gen Zers surveyed said they regularly eat three meals a day during the school year, while more than half occasionally or frequently replace meals with snacks. Tight college schedules partly explain the pattern, but it also reflects Gen Z's ability to adjust under financial stress: more of them have started cooking at home and shopping less in recent years in response to inflationary pressures.
The strain is also visible on campuses themselves, where food pantries have opened at hundreds of U.S. colleges in recent years amid growing attention to student food insecurity. Upcoming monthly grocery price readings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics will show whether the squeeze on food budgets eases or builds.
"Gen Z will be left with psychological scars from persistent inflation due to increased uncertainty and anxiety," Dr. Dayo Abinusawa, founder of London's Awa Business School, previously told Fortune.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
