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Help! College Student Eating Nothing But Marshmallows!


Robyn Openshaw - Nov 02, 2015 - This Post May Contain Affiliate Links


My daughter Emma is a sophomore at SUU. Not too long ago, she texted, “Mom! Something must be done! Aaron is trying to save money at the end of the semester and won’t buy food! He is eating only what’s already in his cupboard. He ate these marshmallows for all three meals today!”

I wrote back, “SOS, intervention time! Do I need to send money?? Tell Aaron “healthy food is WORTH THE MONEY!”

When I was a sophomore in college, I once tried to live on $10/week by eating nothing but bananas and Top Ramen. I was having vertigo problems and I would fall off the sidewalk walking to class. I kept getting sick. There was ringing in my ears and I had terrible headaches. Later I would learn that eating monosodium glutamate (MSG), like what’s in those cheap ramen noodles, causes neurological problems including all of those symptoms. When I stopped eating it, I never had those symptoms again. No one at the student health center seeing me and billing my parents’ insurance connected the two, though. I figured it out myself years later.

Here’s what happened when I stopped by my daughter’s apartment on my way to a hiking weekend with friends. The video quality on my cell phone is terrible, but this is our intervention to help poor Aaron break free of his marshmallow coma. College students need good food, too!

Moms! Comment below to give Aaron some ideas and a mini-lecture!

Posted in: Green Smoothies, Lifestyle, Relationships, Whole Food

10 thoughts on “Help! College Student Eating Nothing But Marshmallows!”

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  1. Trish says:

    My daughter is also a sophomore at SUU, so I can totally relate to this situation:) …Aaron! As I have told my daughter many times, it is so important to buy good food and nourish your body and mind in order to do well in school. You will be sick and tired all the time if you do not and will cost you much more than the extra cost of the healthy food. Good luck!!

  2. Claire says:

    I’m guessing that if Aaron has a car, he tries to avoid poor-quality gasoline because it would hurt his car. Our bodies are perhaps a bit more forgiving (in the short-term), but we can obviously hurt them, too. I wonder if Aaron could find a decent blender at a garage sale or the thrift store, and start every day with a green smoothie? Maybe he could ask for some grocery store or healthy food-related gift cards for Christmas? Maybe he could start a “Green Smoothie Guys” group with some friends? No doubt he would feel A LOT better, and that would reflect in his grades and everything else. College is one of those times when you want to be in top-top shape in order to do your best, after all. Cheating your body of nutrients ends up costing a lot in the long run, too. When you’re twenty something, you don’t feel that it would, but it does — and why not start terrific habits now? Who knows? Maybe Aaron could lead a healthy revolution! It really will be worth it, Aaron. We’re all cheering for you!

  3. Clarissa says:

    I can relate but I’m not a sophomore in college. Just the working poor.

    1. Annabell says:

      If you need help with cheap meal ideas and recipes, I could help. No one should be going hungry.

  4. Amy says:

    Yikes! Here are some food ideas that are full of nutrients and easy to fix or eat raw: nuts, fruit, eggs, smoothies and salad. Aaron, I’m praying you find a way to eat better and can stretch your money for real food. Best wishes from western NY!

  5. Jenny D says:

    Sometimes it is not about is healthy food worth the money but that money isn’t even available. I once ate my birthday cake that my roommate made me for an entire week and that was all I ate. I literally had no money and did exactly what your daughter says is going on. I scrounged my pantry and only ate what was in there for an entire month. Not the healthiest but I had no other option. I was a gymnast on a partial scholarship which prevented me the time to have a part time job which could have earned a little bit of food money.

  6. Annabell says:

    Potatoes $2, cooked in the microwave or boiled and prepared. Oatmeal, $2 not instant. Cooked rice$2-3 with frozen veggies$1. Dz eggs $2. 1 lb. Grd. Beef $4. $15 and this will last 1-2 weeks. Cooking from scratch is the cheaper way to go.

  7. you girls are so cute!

  8. Becky says:

    I have a daughter who is currently at suu. would love to have you put together maybe a college class- one time to teach students- including her- about making these and proper healthy food. I am sure the turn out would be great!

  9. Valerie says:

    My friend’s roommate at BYU literally got scurvy from eating Ramen and cereal 24/7. I still am trying to get my hubby to break his dude food college mentality, and we have been married almost 11 years in December. I know you are busy at school; I know Mom isn’t cooking for you anymore; I know how it can be buying books and such; I know how crappy the food is even in the Institute buildings if you are LDS and they provide you breakfast donuts, chocolate milk and pizza; I know that the student centers provide free crappy food too (ironically during stress week); I know that even the nutrition classes in college can be terrible for mandatory health credit; but DUDE RESIST! There is nothing noble about compromising your health while going to college. Someday you will want to have children, and you contribute half of their genetic material. Anything that alters DNA for the worst (poor nutrition, chemicals, medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.) whether it be the father or mother can affect a fetus and child. We are smarter now, and we know these things. Good nutrition is important for your future and other’s futures too who will count on you. You are young, but not too young to think about this my friend. Do it for you, your future family, your future wife, and to be a better example to other college dudes who do the dude food thing.

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