The food we eat impacts our physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing. Our eating habits reflect our identities, traditions, values, and life circumstances. Knowing the factors that influence food choices is key to building a healthy and meaningful relationship with food.
Many students face challenges in accessing food and maintaining a balanced diet, such as financial barriers, limited time and energy, lack of food skills, or difficulty finding familiar and culturally relevant food. This issue is also affected by larger social and political systems. At UBC, a range of food and nutrition resources are available to help you navigate these challenges, including, but not limited to, accessing affordable groceries, expanding your food skills and knowledge by learning how to prepare simple and nutritious meals, or finding support for food and nutrition-related concerns.
Nutrition
Eating well looks different for everyone. Generally, it begins with developing basic food skills, such as planning and budgeting for meals, grocery shopping, reading food labels, and preparing simple dishes. You should aim to have a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the day, such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and plant-based proteins, while making water your main drink of choice.
There is no single “best” way to eat healthily. While Canada’s Food Guide can be a helpful resource, it’s essential to recognize its limitations, particularly in addressing social and cultural dimensions of food and the harm it has historically caused, including its role in the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. Sharing and enjoying culturally meaningful foods is an important way to nourish your body, honour tradition, and build a positive relationship with food.
Everyone’s food choices can look different depending on their specific dietary needs. Whether it’s celiac disease, plant-based eating, food allergies, or religious dietary needs, there are resources to support you.
Below are a few example resources available to UBC students:
- If you are a varsity athlete, read athlete nutrition guides developed by the sport dietitian at UBC Athlete Nutrition.
- For students looking for Halal foods, the UBC Muslim Student Association created a Halal Food Guide (pdf).
- If you live in residence, connect with the dietitian in Residence.
Dietitians are trained professionals who can help you find strategies to eat well according to your unique dietary needs. You can speak to a dietitian in person, online, or over the phone.
- UBC Residence Dietitian
If you are a student living in residence, contact the dietitian in residence to discuss a food allergy, intolerance, nutrition-related medical condition, or other concerns. - Dietitian Services at HealthLink BC
If you are a British Columbia resident, you can call 811 (or 711 for the hearing impaired) to speak with a registered dietitian free of charge. They are available by phone Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm PT. You do not need a referral from your healthcare provider. You can also find information on various food and nutrition topics on the HealthLink BC website. - Find a dietitian in British Columbia
BC dietitians provides an online directory of registered dietitians in BC by location and specialty areas. You can also search for dietitians across Canada through the Dietitians of Canada directory. - AMS/GSS Student Health Plan
All UBC students under the AMS/GSS Student Health Plan can submit claims of $20 per visit to see a dietitian, to a maximum of $400 per policy year. You will need a physician referral to qualify for this health benefit. Some dietitians might have student rates or a sliding scale for their services.
There are available resources to support you in learning more about food and nutrition and reflecting on your personal relationship with food and body. Throughout the Winter Session, you can also find a variety of workshops and events focusing on building food and nutrition knowledge and skills offered by the Food Hub Market and UBC Food Services.
Below are some example resources provided by UBC and other organizations in Canada:
Food security
Browse money-saving strategies to help your food budget last. Below are some ways to get started:
- Prepare your own meals
Preparing food at home is an effective way to save food dollars. Try batch cooking or packing leftovers for lunch. You can find simple recipes on UBC Food Services or Food Guide Kitchen websites. - Plan ahead
Knowing how to plan your meals and having practical ways to save money before grocery shopping can help you maximize your budget. Consider buying in bulk with a friend or roommate to save on grocery costs. You can also try using apps, such as Flipp, Flashfood, Checkout 51, and Too Good to Go to find food and grocery deals. - Check out UBC’s low-cost food initiatives
The UBC Food Hub continues to work hard to share both student-led and university-led, low-cost food resources and food security initiatives, such as the Food Hub Market. - Support student-led food initiatives
From September to April, visit student-run cafes like Agora Café and UBC Sprouts for low-cost nutritious options. Sprouts hosts initiatives like Community Eats, and faculties and student groups organize food-related community events.
Food insecurity disproportionately affects international students, graduate students, disabled students, queer and trans communities, as well as individuals who identify as Indigenous, Black, or Persons of Colour. Below are some places to get started if you find yourself making difficult choices around food due to financial barriers.
- Connect with your Enrolment Services Advisor (ESA). If you don’t have enough money for food, your ESA can help you with budgeting, access to emergency funds, or other types of financial assistance.
- Emergency food relief is available on campus through the AMS Food Bank, Acadia Food Hub, and student-led initiatives such as Sprouts Free Meals initiative and the community fridge. You can also find free or low-cost food resources in the community through Vancouver Neighbourhood Food Networks, Vancouver Coastal Health food asset maps, and Fraser Health’s free and low-cost food directory.
Learn more about food security as well as food and financial resources through the Food Hub.
Cooking and meal planning
Cooking on your own for the first time can be intimidating. Here are some ways you can get started.
- Go on a free virtual grocery store tour
Join UBC nutrition students on a virtual grocery store tour as they guide you through navigating a grocery store, reading labels, and choosing foods that fit into your budget. - Learn from others
Attend a food-based workshop on campus with different student clubs and UBC groups, like the UBC Cooking Club. The Food Hub market hosts events where students can learn to make simple and healthy recipes from scratch while simultaneously expanding their food knowledge and skillset. They also post videos and recipes for easy and nutritious meals and snacks. - Practice, practice, practice
Check out tips from UBC Food Services on learning how to cook and read these 5 tips from a fellow student on cooking as a beginner.
Life as a student is busy. Balancing academics along with other responsibilities and aspects of student life can make it hard to find time to put together a nourishing meal. Below are some tips you can try:
- Have an ongoing grocery list
A running list on your fridge or phone can help you keep track of the items you need when going to the grocery store. You can categorize these based on where you find the items in the store (e.g., bakery, fruits) to save time and reduce impulsive purchases. - Stock up on kitchen staples
Find which ingredients are staples in your diet and keep them available for when you need to quickly put a meal together. - Order groceries online
If you don’t have time, order ahead and pick up your groceries in stores. Many grocery stores offer this service for a small fee. - Meal prep or batch cook with a friend
Check out 11 meal prep ideas for tasks you can do ahead of time. Double the portions when you make a meal. Invite your friends and have each person take on a different task at the same time to speed up the process.