SOURCE 2022

Eating out is a popular activity for college students, it provides an opportunity for them to socialize and enjoy their meals. Students eating away from home has increased from an average of 2.1 times per week in the 1990s to an average of 6-8 times per week. College students are more likely to eat out than other groups. Having a better understanding about the origins of food may help to inform and affect a student’s knowledge. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if an increased rate of eating out affects college students’ knowledge of food origins. A survey instrument titled “Around the World in Eight Plates,” originally developed by researchers from the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC) was used. This survey, plus an additional question measuring how many times per month students ate out was administered at Central Washington University (CWU) in the Winter 2022. The survey was originally used as an educational tool among university students, but the goal of this study was to compare eating out frequency with successful matching of food origin. The survey asked a sample of participants (n=155) to match 8 different foods to their country of origin. Participants were also asked how many times a month they eat at a restaurant. Eating out was not correlated with a student’s ability to match food to their country of origin. The results from this survey warrant further research into food origin knowledge and how eating out influences students’ knowledge on food origin.