For many freshmen at the University of South Carolina, deciding what to eat on campus is influenced less by nutritional goals and more by time, cost and convenience.

Ryan Casey said her Maxcy College dorm near the Horseshoe doesn’t limit her access to food. The Russell House student union is only a short walk away, so her daily food choices are shaped by her schedule rather than distance.

“Usually it’s just what kind of mood I’m in for food, and also wait times,” Casey said. “Sometimes certain restaurants have longer waits, and I might be in a rush.”

Campus dining offers students a wide range of options, from sit-down meals to mobile ordering through Grubhub delivery service. The variety allows students to tailor meals to their preferences. But it also affects how those choices to keep them going.

“I’m able to pick things that give me enough energy to get through my day,” Casey said.

Multiple studies have found that the benefits from a healthy diet extend to a student’s mental health, physical health, emotional stability and long-term health risks, according to a March 2025 article in Nature.com. The studies also showed that the benefits from healthy food could be greater, because the connections haven’t been studied sufficiently.

Casey said healthier options aren’t always the most accessible, especially when cost is a factor. Some meals marketed as healthier alternatives can require additional dining dollars beyond a standard meal plan allowance, which can discourage students from choosing them regularly.

“Sometimes one meal will cost more than a meal swipe, and that makes a difference,” Casey said.

But standing in long lines really makes a difference. Casey said there have been moments when she had to choose a different food court restaurant that had a quicker option. That’s common for students navigating back-to-back classes, she said.

When asked what campus dining could change to better support student health, Casey pointed to food quality, particularly with vegetables.

“Higher-quality vegetables would help,” Casey said. “Sometimes the vegetables are wilted or just don’t look good. … It depends on where you eat.”

She also said expanding choices could improve students’ overall experience.

“They could always have more options,” Casey said. “Sometimes eating on campus feels a little repetitive.”

Eating habits and expectations often are different for students who live off campus.

Mackenzie Miller, a junior who lives at The Nine complex in the Vista, said she is a better eater now that she no longer relies on a meal plan.

“My eating routine is definitely a little bit more varied now that I live off campus, because I try to eat more at home just to save money,” Miller said. “When I lived on campus, I had set times when I would go to dining halls.”

Miller said she felt limited by on-campus dining options.

“Living off campus definitely gives me more control over what I eat,” Miller said. “Eating on campus can get repetitive, especially with dining halls, because they all kind of offer the same things. … The food I eat off campus is a lot healthier than the food I eat on campus.”

Miller said the transition to off-campus life, which often comes in a student’s sophomore year, also comes with different expectations for health and diet.

“Freshman year, it’s kind of expected that you’re going to eat poorly because everyone jokes about (gaining) the freshman 15,” Miller said. “Once you move off campus, it’s more in your hands, and you can be healthier if you choose to.”