Being stuck at home may not have been what students expected this spring, and as a result it has led to changes in eating habits. Although eating habits and regiments have changed, some people are taking advantage of the time by planning meals to encourage better eating habits. 

Enoch Bergeron, a senior business administration major with a specialization in leadership management, now limits the amount of food he eats due to having online classes. Enoch’s go-to method for getting food was based on the times classes started and ended. 

Enoch said this spring has been difficult, especially getting into a routine. When classes are all online and everything is held virtually, it gives students the opportunity to eat more. Enoch knows he will over snack and has tried his best to not eat as much. 

Being more mindful of snacking and eating, Enoch said this quarter has forced him to set specific times to eat meals. Enoch said having to think more has impacted how much he eats. 

“The less I think about eating, the more I end up eating because I have no way to keep track,” Enoch said.

In addition to eating less, not having any social interactions with people has forced Enoch’s diet to be dependent on what he wants to eat.

Since there’s no one on campus to socialize with, Enoch goes straight to get food and back to his dorm. Enoch’s favorite place to eat is El Gato Loco in the SURC because he knows exactly what is being made. 

During a stressful week, Enoch would occasionally treat himself to ice cream as a reward. Enoch said it is not so much stress eating but rewarding himself after working on schoolwork all week.

Justin Lester, a senior political science major, uses his extra time since being at home to stick to a regimented routine. On a typical day, Lester wakes up at 6 a.m. and enjoys a light breakfast usually containing some type of grain. Lester has also been able to spend more time making his meals. 

“Since the beginning of the pandemic I have had more time to research and look up things to cook,” Lester said. “I think that with the pandemic it has allowed me to diversify my selections to eat healthier.” 

At the beginning of last quarter, Lester was focused on bulking in terms of growing more muscle. With the gym not available it forced Lester to adapt in other ways to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle resulting in leaner meats and vegetables. Even without the gym, Lester still looks forward to improving his health by developing better eating habits.

Mark Melendres, a senior exercise science major, has had a different experience with having to stay at home. On a typical day, Melendres would wake up early in the morning to work out and begin breakfast at 8 a.m. 

With the stay-at-home order in effect, it has directly impacted what time Melendres eats on a day to day basis. 

“Honestly whenever I feel hungry is the point that I eat,” Melendres said. “Before [COVID-19] I would usually eat at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m, but because I have all the time to eat I just wait till I am hungry.”

Melendres said being home all day and not being able to go to the gym has affected his physical fitness. In order to maintain physical fitness, he would run two miles because he knows how many calories it burns.

Melendres said going grocery shopping has provided some difficulties and caused concerns, especially when he gets low on starches.

“I get a little frustrated because if I run out of rice I do not know what I am going to eat. I eat rice every day and without it I am not the same,” Melendres said.

Madeline Fletcher, a senior law and justice major, has been working at Fred Meyer as a Click List employee. A Click List employee does the shopping for people who order groceries online and has them ready for pickup. 

“A lot of people are buying soda, alcohol and bread,” Fletcher said. “There is always a request for five gallons of milk and vegetables. Majority of purchases are pastas, frozen meals and vegetables.” 

Fletcher was shocked at the amount of soda requested every day. Fletcher said there were rarely any times people included hand sanitizers or cleaning materials in their shopping list. The majority of the requests were groceries and not personal hygiene. 

While working at Fred Meyer, Fletcher has developed a better way to navigate stores and tried to get out faster rather than waiting around. Based on her experience working, she said a common trend is that people are buying items in bulk or are impatient.

Fletcher recommends shoppers have a list before shopping and be patient at the grocery store. It is important to try and limit the amount of foot traffic and be considerate of others during these times, according to Fletcher. 

Fletcher has been an employee at Fred Meyer for a month and enjoys the busy work tempo. Fletcher said it provides her the opportunity to go to school and still make money. She said there are certain times that are more demanding than others and it really depends on the time of the day.