Young adults who cook their own food tend to have better overall diets than those who don’t, according to an article in December’s Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Among the 18- to 23-year-olds studied, those who were very involved in food preparation were likely to eat more servings of fruits and vegetables, for example. One more reason to get kids helping in the kitchen from an early age.
The study found, however, that many young adults still did not meet recommended dietary guidelines, even when they prepared their own meals. I’m not surprised, given that grocery shopping at that age can mean buying ramen and Cheetos at the student-center convenience store, and all-nighters necessitate high doses of sugar and caffeine. If they can go back to better habits after graduation, though, all may not be lost.