Healthy

I've known Jacob for about two years now. Other than his juggling, there is one thing clear characteristic I can tell you about: he is healthy. It used to be that Jacob was a rice and chicken for dinner kind of person, but more and more he has been experimenting with other types of healthy food.
"Do you know how healthy ants are for you? Do you think they sell them in Bozeman?" He asked while hanging out the other day. Ants? What? I mean I'm all for strawberries and green peppers, but he was looking into finding the best possible food, not just what was available for him. Was this a costly endeavor?  When I asked him how much more he spends to "be healthy," he says it's probably around $100 a week, far more than I spend on groceries as a whole. 

1. How did you decide you wanted to go forth in this purchase?

Healthy food is the key to a healthy body. Ever since high school I have had the desire to be as healthy as possible in order to avoid missed opportunities due to poor health and also to be able to excel at sports and physical appearance. My motivation for purchasing healthy food comes from a deep understanding of what is necessary to live a long life of strength and productivity.

2. Do you set a budget for spending on this type of stuff? Did you change your spending budget after this purchase?

I do have a budget set for my health foods. I set this budget by as high as possible. My budget changes depending on my income. 

3. Have you forgone participating in other activities or purchasing other items in order to purchase this/these item(s)?

I forgo buying junk food and things that are unhealthy. These purchases do not effect my lifestyle except for what I eat and where I buy my food.

4. How much would you say your spending habits changed while in college?

(1-Not at all, exactly the same as before college. 10- It has done a complete 180 and I spend much differently)

Why?

*3*

Purchasing healthy food has been common for me since the beginning of college. My knowledge of what is the most healthy food to eat has changed and I have changed what I buy to some extent.

5. Do you think you will you continue to spend the same after college?

I plan to dramatically increase my spending on healthy food after college when I have a substantially larger income.

So Jacob's choice to eat healthy comes from a lot of different motivators. Maybe it's because he knows it'll affect the rest of his life and could help him have a nicer life in the long run? Or maybe it's to help with sports, another passion of his. 

But why is it so difficult for many others to eat healthy? 

A study conducted by Oregon State University found that most college women and men had four and five servings of veggies throughout the week respectively. That's far less than the recommended five a day! 

But why? 

The article decided to consult an expert: "Cardinal, who is an expert in the psychological and social aspects of health and exercise, said the larger take-away message is that proper eating and nutrition is not integrated enough into our society. He said the surveyed students came from OSU, where healthy options are available in dining halls.
“We are not teaching youth how to be self-sustaining,” Cardinal said. “Home economics and nutrition classes have all but disappeared from our schools in the K-12 system. There is a fundamental lack of understanding on how to eat well in a very broad sense.” 
Something else about Jacob that I would note is that he was actually home-schooled for most of his school career. Maybe his education came from watching his parents, who are vegetarians. 
Does this aspect of consumer behavior come from his parents? Do other patterns in shopping stem from parents?  

This left me with more questions than answers, but points to a possible interesting cause for college students behavior.