Students may have a reputation for eating nothing but burgers and pizza, but there’s actually a lot more to students’ diets.

Snacks, for one, are an important part of young people’s food choices. And while snacks can be healthy, they can also be high in salt and sugar and lead to obesity and other health problems. 

We wanted to hear what students in the state of New York have to say about their snacking habits. To that end, Grabanzos ran an online survey in January and February this year and got 4,723 students to share their views and habits. 

We are grateful for young people who took the time to participate in the survey. We hope the key takeaways we are presenting below will inspire some change, both on an individual and collective level. 

1.) What are the 5 most offered snacks at campus

  • Chips
  • Chocolate
  • Soft drinks
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Cookies

2.) Which 5 snacks students usually eat while on campus or between classes

  • Crackers
  • Cheese
  • Chips
  • Cake
  • Beef jerky

3.) Which 5 snacks students eat most often while at home or when going out with friends

  • Cheese
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Cookies
  • Beef jerky
  • Popcorn

4.) What would students want to change about their snacking habits:

  • Snack less – 64% of students
  • Eat healthier snacks – 31% of students
  • Nothing – 5% of students

5.) What percentage of students use snacks as a meal replacement at least once a week

  • Use – 34% of students
  • Don’t use – 66% of students 

6.) What percentage of students say that price is playing a major role in determining their snack choices

  • Price plays a role – 59% 
  • Price doesn’t play a role – 41% 

7.) What percentage of students agree that healthier snacks are more expensive than processed snacks

  • Agree – 81%
  • Disagree – 19%

We turned some of these data points into an infographic that you can find below (and reshare by citing the source).

As we noted before, students’ diets are complex and influenced by a myriad of factors. Young people are aware that they should be eating healthier snack choices but price is an obstacle for many.

Then, there’s also the fact that more than a third of students use snacks as a meal replacement from time to time. These students likely don’t get all the nutrients they need. This means that universities should offer healthier and more affordable food choices so that young people get vitamins and minerals needed to function properly. 

We hope our survey was useful and we look forward to hearing what you all think about this topic.