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By Zach Thomas
Arizona Daily Wildcat
September 6, 1996
"Students buy lots of beer." So says Pat Scott, a head clerk at Fry's Food Store at the corner of East Grant Road and North First Avenue.However, despite beer's clear nutritional value and other redeeming qualities, it is simply not feasible to subsist on Schlitz alone (though many may have tried and failed).
Now that beer as a food group is out of the question, what can students eat that will provide nutrition and limit wallet drain as well?
Ramen noodles provide filling meals, but get rather old after the first month or so.
Rob Miller, an anthropology senior caught holding a head of romaine lettuce in Fry's fresh vegetable section, says he has occasionally had to live on next to nothing and was able to deal with it.
"You've got to stick to pasta and sauce to stay cheap, and perhaps get bread on special occasions," he says.
He has also at times been more desperate than that.
"My friend and I used to dumpster dive back east, but that takes more of a flexible person," he says.
However, Miller admits that under normal circumstances, "I don't like to eat total shit all the time. I eat salad a lot, just vegetables, cheese and bread."
Miller, who is not a vegetarian, says he doesn't eat meat very often.
"I don't really spend my money on meat," he says. "I just let it come my way."
Scott agreed that most students on a budget do stick to food like Ragu and pasta, but many also take advantage of coupon books that stores like Fry's, Safeway, and Albertson's offer, which contain savings on everything from tomatoes to fabric softener.
Her personal recommendation to students is ground hamburger meat, which she described as being "not very expensive."
Steve Lundy, a Pima Community College student who moonlights at Fry's, says students mostly head for the frozen foods section, but urges those on a small budget to stay away from such cuisine.
"The ones that are cheap are the ones that aren't any good for you," he stresses.
Perhaps with all these decisions, one might be better off to merely subsist on beer.
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