If you have young relatives who are starting university it’s a good idea to suggest ways they can eat healthily, says Emma YoungSeptember is the start of the new academic year, and for many young adults means the prospect of life away from home as they begin their journey into higher education at university.
So what does college life look like for today’s students compared with those of 50 or so years ago?
In some ways things are radically different now. The most obvious change is that far more young people go to university. In the 1960s fewer than one in 20 school leavers went straight to a degree course - just 4%. By the end of the 1970s this figure had risen to 14%, and today about 40% start an undergraduate course. This means that some institutions have expanded beyond all recognition. The biggest 100 universities have more than 10,000 students enrolled, and the largest, University College London, has more than 40,000.
The other major change is that today’s students don’t get their education for free. From the 1960s until 1998 tuition fees were paid for by the state. Then Tony Blair’s first government introduced the current scheme. The position now is that universities can charge up to £9,250 a year for tuition, which has to be paid back over the student’s career after they have left, assuming they get a job that pays more than £25,000 a year.
Likewise, the old maintenance grant, which covered rent and other expenses and didn’t have to be paid back, started to be phased out in the 1990s in favour of student loans.
The upshot of all this is that many students leaving college this year will have accumulated a debt of between £40,000 and £50,000.
While this sounds like a terrible millstone to put around your neck, the advantages of getting a degree in terms of future employment mean it is still worth it. There has also been a huge improvement in how universities treat their students, particularly when it comes to their accommodation.
Back in the 1960s those who couldn’t get a place in the college’s halls of residence would have to rely on finding cheap rented flats or rooms. Today’s students are more likely to live in modern blocks that are more like hotels.
However, one thing that hasn’t changed is how young people eat when left to their own devices. All the excitement of college life and making new friends in a new city means cooking is the last thing on their minds. It’s also true that most young people haven’t learned to cook. They are more likely to exist on a diet of fast food and ready meals.
With that in mind, here is a healthier twist on an old student favourite, the pot noodle. The fresh vegetables make it more nutritious than the shop-bought varieties, and by adding shredded ham or cooked chicken it can become a substantial meal. Sprinkle on some sunflower seeds or toasted nuts to give crunch and texture, or switch noodles for spiralised vegetables. The options are endless.
If you have children, grandchildren or young relatives who are just starting university, try to impress on them the importance of eating healthily rather than relying on Greggs, McDonald’s and Domino’s.It will make the best days of their lives even better.
VEGETABLE POT NOODLE IN A JAR
- 40g dried thin egg noodles
- 25g frozen peas, defr`osted
- 25g baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 small handful of fresh beansprouts
- ½ red pepper, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp marmite
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½-1 tsp fresh red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- Splash of Worcestershire sauce
2. Add the rest of the ingredients in layers.
3. Pour over enough boiling water to just cover the ingredients.
4. Cover the bowl with clingfilm or, if using a jar, seal with a lid and leave to stand for ten minutes.
5. Season to taste and serve immediately.
