Americans are eating more. With fast food restaurants at every corner and grocery stores providing instant meals, are NIU students eating more, too?

Researchers from the University of North Carolina have analyzed surveys taken over a 20-year span. They’ve discovered Americans are eating more per portion, and not just when eating out, but when cooking at home, too.

This trend applies to college students as well, said Ellen Parham, professor of family, consumer and nutrition sciences and a registered dietitian.

“It may apply even more to college students because they are more likely to eat fast food more, making them accustomed to eating larger sizes,” she said.

The more students eat super-sized meals at fast food restaurants, the more likely they are going to cook super-sized meals at home.

“Almost everybody eats out several times a week, and that sets you up for what to expect on your plate at home,” Parham said.

Portions and serving methods vary in each residence hall.

“Some of the locations are self-serve, but in Grant we have servers,” said Mark Gregory, food administrator for Grant Towers. “Our standard portion size was set up years ago, so we know how much to make. But our dining is all-you-can-eat, so students are not limited. If they want more, they just have to ask.”

Students living off-campus decide their own portions when cooking.

“I cook about four to six times per week because that is all I am home for,” said Juli Peck, a junior elementary education major.

Peck will cook anything from hamburgers to pre-packaged chicken-breast meals that she just puts in the oven for a few minutes.

When she is home to cook, Peck just makes enough for herself. But when she makes a family pack, she makes the whole thing and eats it over time.

“I can’t afford to be throwing food away, so I keep the rest for the rest of the week,” she said. “I just heat it up later, unless my roommates beat me to it.”

Other students cook on a regular basis.

“I cook at least twice a day,” said Kevin Ambron, a sophomore special education major.

Ambron said he rarely cooks instant meals. His diet ranges from homemade spaghetti to chicken and rice.

“When I cook spaghetti, I cook a whole pot, so my roommates can have some. If I cook hamburgers for myself, I’ll make about two and a side,” he said. “That’s what fills me up.”