9A Testing Hypothesis Part 2

Opportunity: It is difficult for college students to maintain a healthy and well balanced diet without spending too much time and money on food buying and cooking food. This is because many college students are extremely busy studying, working, and being involved in clubs so they have very little time to cook a healthy meal for themselves. Also, healthy foods such as fresh produce are much more costly than food sold at unhealthy “fast-food” type restaurants. 

This problem can be solved if there was place on or near campus that provided students with cheap and healthy meal plans everyday.

Interviews:

1. Amber, 20, University of Florida, nursing student: Amber says that the biggest struggle when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet for her is actually finding the time to go out buy the healthy foods and prepare it herself. She explained that her schedule is more packed than ever since getting into the nursing program. After mentioning my idea of a place that provides healthy, less-expensive, and already prepared meal plans for students like herself, she said that she would definitely benefit from something like it. 

2. Michal, 20, University of Florida, Junior: Michal is studying nutrition here at the University of Florida so I was really interested to get her take on this issue and on my idea. Michal told me that ever since her freshman year she has loved cooking her own meals. She said that her parents provide her with a large enough budget to buy whatever foods she wants and she makes cooking a priority every single day. However, she did mention that her friends are always complaining about not having the money or time to cook healthy meals for themselves.

3. Alex 19, University of Florida, Sophomore: Alex is a social and busy student studying finance. During our interview he told me that he eats a lot of “junk food” and eats at fast-food restaurants all the time because he is simply too busy to cook and doesn’t know how. However, he expressed to me that he has been feeling out of shape lately and wouldn’t mind trying new healthy alternatives as long as he doesn’t have to cook it himself, it doesn’t taste bad, and it’s not too expensive.

4. Morgan, 20, University of Florida, Junior, health science major: During my interview with Morgan, she expressed that she loves to eat healthy and cooks often because of the lack of healthy meal options near campus. She explained to me that she does not mind cooking just sometimes does not have the time and is forced to get a meal at a fast-food restaurant. Morgan feels that a place where she can easily get healthy meals for as much money as she would at a fast food restaurant would be really beneficial for her on the days she doesn’t have enough time to cook.

5. Zach, 18, University of Florida, Freshman: Zach had a very different opinion on eating healthy than the other people I interviewed. He expressed to me that he loves eating junk food and probably would choose a fast food restaurant over any other option. He stated that as long as his parents are giving him money to buy food wherever he wants and as long as he's not overweight, he’s not going to worry about eating anything other than fast food. 

Who: The people my idea would be benefitting are college students who are too busy with their studies and extracurricular activities to cook for themselves but want to eat healthy foods without spending too much money. These people can also be those who don’t know how to cook nor have any interest in learning. I found that some of the people interviewed fall outside of this boundary. Some prefer to cook for themselves and others have no intention on changing their mostly “fast-food” diet.

What: I believe a lot of college students would use a place that offers cheap, and already prepared healthy meals. Many people I interviewed car about their health and want access to healthy foods and I believe they would use a service like this.

Why: Most of the people I interviewed expressed that their main reasons for frequently eating fast food is that they don’t want to spend money on healthy alternatives, and they do not have enough time to cook food for themselves. The few that would most likely not benefit from my food service idea are those who either prefer to cook for them selves or those who do not care about eating healthy food at all.

Inside the Boundary:                                      Outside the Boundary:

Who: Students who are too busy to                  Who: Students who cook or don't eat healthy.

cook but want to eat healthy food.

What is the Need: Healthy and cheap               What the Need is Not: A place for people    

alternatives to fast food restaurants.                  who like fast food or like to cook.

Why the Need: To help busy students               Alternative Explanations: People may cook 

maintain a healthy diet.                                     because they rather not go out, maybe there                                          

                                                                          can be a delivery option.