Table 1: Participant Characteristics (n=17)

Early childhood

Transition to college

When I was a child that’s the economy was not good, so we tried to save money and hmm just eat the cheapest, cheapest foods.

Oh no, it’s definitely started with college.

Fixed bills

Unexpected expenditure

First, we need to pay our bills somehow, you know. So, I mean the light bill and the water bill and the cable… and those things. And then from what is left, we kind of plan you know, the food budget.

Things happen, car breaks down, all these other financial things cut into your food budget, and there’s nothing you can do about it because you must take care of it but its stressful and that’s been my experience as a student.

Employment

Fixed bills

Planning for food

Shopping habits

I ended up getting a job second and being able to supplement that a little bit with still not being able to work a whole lot because of classes

First, we need to pay our bills somehow, you know. So, I mean the light bill and the water bill and the cable… and those things.

It’s more at the beginning of the month I don’t plan that much. Towards, the middle of the month I start planning.

So, what I’ve started recently, is to try and find deals before I go to the grocery store.

Quality of diet

Quantity of food

I work from the back to the front. And so, I start, and I get the eggs, and then...if it’s in the budget for it then I get the almond milk. And then I work forward...... Um...then I just work my way, I get couscous or quinoa or whatever they have that’s cheapest. And then get the vegetables. And then if I’m totaling it up in my cart and it’s going to cost more than I can afford, I do like a loop back and put stuff back that I don’t think is going to be a necessity for that week.

For a while it was Ramen noodles and crackers.

I’ll just kind of cut the meals and make them smaller or skip lunch or skip dinner, that kind of thing.

Classroom behavior

Focus on academics

Grades

Um there were definitely a lot of times where like I was falling asleep in class.

There are times when I’m really hungry and not able to focus on school work or whatever I’m working on.

I feel like my grades suffer, because like I feel like I can’t stay up all night and study like some people can because I’m just like physically exhausted.

Mental health

Physical health

Social health

It’s depressing, very depressing. Ahhh, I find myself struggling. Am I going to eat today? Am I going to study today?

If I don’t eat enough, I don’t feel good, and I will stay in bed all day long, and I hate to stay in bed all day long.

When I’m hungry, I’m hungry and that can be over whelming, and your body is telling you, you need to do something about it. The main thing is I just get really irritable. I feel bad because I know logically you’re taking things out on other people and at that point I’m like you need to take a break from people until you get food in your system.

Asking for help from family or friends

Food pantry

I’m very independent so I don’t like to ask for help or to ask for especially like for money or stuff like that.

I borrowed some of my roommates’ food, took them up on their offer to buy me food a couple of times.

I volunteered at, um, the community market and seeing the people that were there, even though it was actually at that time that I was struggling, like, the most, I still didn’t feel like I deserved it like they did.

Table 2: Themes, Sub-themes and Quotations of the Experiences of Food Insecure Students