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LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Forget what you’ve heard about college kids living on pizza and ramen noodles. Some are about to learn their way around a place that offers much healthier fare—the grocery store.

Around a dozen University of Louisville freshmen and sophomores have signed up to tour the ValuMarket in Bardstown Road’s MidCity Mall Friday. A ValuMarket employee will give the students a quick orientation to the store about 10:40 a.m. Then a registered dietician will help them shop for nutritious food items such as vegetables, frozen chicken and wholegrain bread.

Each student will receive recipes, a shopping list, a reusable shopping bag, coupons, a cash card worth $10 and tips on how to shop.

The idea is to show them how to choose healthy, affordable food and what to do with it once they have it, said Karen Newton, director of UofL’s Office of Health Promotion and Well-being.

“Healthy eating is a challenge for most college students,” she said. “Many don’t know how to grocery shop or store food safely, let alone plan meals and cook. We show them how to stock their pantries so they can make quick, nutritious meals.”

Last year, a survey to assess UofL students’ eating habits showed that 92 percent knew a balanced diet was important but only 5 percent ate the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Three out of four said they lacked time to fix meals, while another third said they had little or no cooking experience.

Helping students overcome these barriers “will boost their overall health and well-being and even improve the way they perform in class,” Newton said.

Besides offering the grocery store tour, Newton’s office regularly posts healthy, easy-to-make recipes for students on its website and offers hands-on cooking workshops during the school year through a program called Basic Pantry.

For more details, contact Newton at 502-552-4917 or