- Utah Valley University offers cooking classes to assist students facing food insecurity.
- Study reveals that almost half of Utah college students report some level of food insecurity.
- Campuses across the state are sponsoring food pantries to ensure students are fed.
Jokes about “starving students” and dorm pantries stocked with nothing but a couple packages of ramen and a half-empty bottle of Tabasco may be campus humor standbys. But hunger is a reality for many Utah college students.
A recent Utah State University survey revealed almost half of college students in the Beehive State reported some level of food insecurity.
Amber McGuire has managed the campus food pantry at Utah Valley University — the state’s largest higher education institution — since 2014. And since then, she has seen more and more students dealing with some degree of hunger.
“Food insecurity definitely is impacting a lot more students,” McGuire told the Deseret News. “We’ve increased the number of people that we’re serving and the pounds of food that we’re giving away to UVU students.”
Last year, UVU’s on-campus resource center served more than 12,000 people, providing them with more than 67,000 pounds of food.
Started by students, the school’s food pantry evolved in 2022 into part of UVU’s Care Hub program.
The pantry was originally stocked with boxed and canned goods, but fresh produce for the students was scarce. So the UVU pantry began supplementing their shelves with fresh produce harvested by fellow Wolverine students at the on-campus “GRIT Garden.”
Those “homegrown” UVU goods are augmented by fresh produce from outside food banks.
Now the UVU food pantry, which is open to students Monday through Friday, hosts “Fresh Food Friday” during the harvest to offer nutritious raw fruits and vegetables. “Last year alone, we gave away almost 16,000 pounds of fresh produce to our UVU students, which is wild when you think about that tiny little quarter-acre GRIT Garden,” said McGuire.
Turning cukes into tasty salads
UVU students utilizing the campus food pantry appreciate having a bag full of, say, fresh zucchinis and tomatoes — but many have no clue how to incorporate them into their daily meals.
“We realized that while it’s so great to be able to provide fresh produce, it really does nothing if the students don’t know how to utilize it,” said McGuire.
A tasty solution: cooking classes.
Held frequently throughout the year, UVU’s “Pantry to Plate” cooking classes teach students how to prepare nutritious and creative meals from the food they collect from the food pantry and the GRIT Garden.
During the growing season, the cooking classes focus on the fruits and vegetables harvested at the UVU garden. Then during the winter months, the classes center around food pantry staples such as dried beans or rice.
“It’s been a really cool project,” said McGuire, “and it’s been fun to collaborate across campus with other staff who are passionate about cooking.”
Cucumbers are abundant this time of year. So last month, McGuire taught students how to make a quick-and-easy smashed cucumber salad. “We’re just trying to make things as adaptable as possible for our students and showing them that it’s easy to make healthy, delicious things that are super easily adaptable for what’s around,” she said.
What causes student food insecurity?
There are myriad reasons why college students may be facing hunger, said McGuire.
Sometimes they may have to dip into their grocery budget to pay for an unexpected expense such as replacing a blown tire. But for other college students, food insecurity is just one part of a more complex, chronic situation.
“We do have students who are currently sleeping in their cars that we’re trying to get connected to better resources,” said McGuire.
“We have students who are fleeing unsafe living situations. And we have students who have dietary restrictions that make grocery bills even more expensive. So anything they can do to supplement with the (UVU food pantry) goes a long way for them to be able to actually eat food that doesn’t harm their bodies.”
Battling hunger across Utah’s colleges and universities
No surprise, campus food insecurity in Utah is not limited to UVU.
Several of the state’s higher education institutions operate campus food pantries and programs to assist students facing nutrition scarcity.
- The University of Utah’s “Feed U Pantry” provides free, nutritious food to its students, their families, faculty and staff.
“There are times when we all have struggles: Loss of a job, paying tuition, medical emergencies,” notes the university’s online pantry site.
“The basic demands of life sometimes make us have to choose between food or bills. We don’t want any member of our campus community to have to choose between having some food on the table and keeping up with the emergencies that come up.”
Thousands from the University of Utah community have benefited from the volunteer-powered Feed U Pantry since its opening in 2014.
- Salt Lake Community College’s “Bruin Pantries” operate in several of the school’s Salt Lake County-based campuses.
The Bruin Pantries receive their food, in part, from weekly donations from the Utah Food Bank, the Utah Grocery Rescue program, Maverik stores and private monetary donations.
- Brigham Young University’s Dean of Students Office operates a food insecurity program intended to help BYU students struggling to afford food.
The program, according to the school, consists of multiple elements — including direct assistance and referral to on- and off-campus resources.
- Weber State University students, faculty and staff can utilize the school’s “Weber Cares Pantry” once a week.
The pantry is stocked with essential resources such as nutritious food and hygiene supplies.
“Our mission is to ensure that no one’s academic success is limited by hunger or need — nourishing futures so all can reach their full potential.”
- Southern Utah University’s HOPE (Helping Our People Eat) Pantry was the first campus-based pantry in Utah — and one of the first in the country, according to the school’s pantry site.
In a typical week, SUU’s food pantry serves hundreds of students — providing each student with $40 to $50 worth of food and supplies.
- Utah Tech University operates a variety of resources to help alleviate campus food insecurity, including the Blazer Food Pantry, the “Come & Get It” program where students can pick up extra meals from campus events, and a free mobile pantry sponsored by the Utah Food Bank.
- Snow College’s Buster’s Pantry is open several days a week to assist students with immediate, short-term needs.
- Westminster University’s “Purple Basket” food pantry offers a remedy to campus food insecurity.
“Hunger and nutrition security are approached in a dignified, destigmatized manner aimed at reducing hunger and increasing resources for all presentations of food insecurity — whether it be a skipped meal or a week of groceries,” according to the school website.
Westminster students can access a variety of foods at the Purple Basket, as well as hygiene and household items.
