Whenever Nazim Mohammed goes to the supermarket to do his monthly grocery shopping he is hit by waves of anxiety.
Mohammed, a final year UWI, St Augustine student, tries his best to manage his monthly $500 grocery allocation but he says the rising cost of food makes this very difficult. Especially, since he has other expenses, like paying his rent and a loan he took to help fund his studies.
So, to help keep costs low, he opts to purchase highly-processed foods like baked beans, corned beef, sausages and white bread which are affordable and easy to whip into a quick meal.
Alternatively, when he is short on time, the working student said he simply purchases a cheap, convenient fast-food meal from KFC to sustain him during his all-night cram study sessions.
Fresh fruits and vegetables rarely grace Mohammed’s plate.
“Due to financial restrictions, processed items are more suitable. It’s less money and quicker,” the 23-year-old said.
[caption id="attachment_929128" align="alignnone" width="768"] UWI St Augustine student Nazim Mohammed said the rising cost of food makes it difficult to purchase healthy foods. Photo courtesy Nazim Mohammed -[/caption]
On the surface, issues that stem from this choice may include lifestyle diseases like heart disease (the leading cause of death in TT), obesity and diabetes. But, for the average Joe in TT, the relationship between unhealthy nutrition and food security is more ambiguous. Discussions about food security often focus on people who do not have access to food while overlooking the nutritional aspect.
Shaienne St Hilaire, 21, a UWI student majoring in communications, said when most students are faced with the choice between a well-balanced, nutritious meal or a $20 fast food option, most opt for the latter.
“Healthier foods are so much more expensive than unhealthy alternatives. You would check the price of something and it would be such a turn off to pick it up and purchase it.
“UWI and TT by extension have all these (fast food) franchises. You step out your doorstep and there’s a Chinese restaurant or KFC.”
St Hilaire also said the lack of time and everyday stressors students have to deal with may also contribute to their poor diet choices.
“You don’t have time to actually go and cook food, sometimes it’s better to order something,”
[caption id="attachment_929130" align="alignnone" width="770"] UWI St Augustine student Shaienne St Hilaire, 21, said the lack of time and everyday stressors contributes to students poor diet choices. Photo courtesy Shianne St Hilaire -[/caption]
“Junk food is comfort food. When I am sad or stressed I wouldn’t want to eat a salad, I want to eat ice cream or cake. Even though it’s unhealthy at the moment, it's just instant gratification you are getting.”
For St Hilaire, education has an important part to play in helping students make healthier choices.
“You would hear TT has one of the highest figures in the world for heart disease and diabetes and still you are not seeing an active effort to push eating healthily an
