Many students are frustrated about the quality and price of food provided by UBC Housing, but the university says it has other on-campus alternatives.
Between March 14 and March 16, there were three posts on the UBC subreddit complaining about UBC Housing’s food. Together, they garnered 950 upvotes from other online users and generated 142 comments.
In one post — which is titled “What $8.29 gets you at Open Kitchen” — a user posted a picture of six pieces of potato and five small pieces of chicken. People in the comment section voiced frustration with how much the apparent small portion size cost.
In another post, a student called for a boycott of UBC food outlets for a day to protest their perceived as expensive and unhealthy offerings.
Food security has become a growing issue on campus in recent years. Between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years, the AMS Food Bank reported an almost 1,000 increase in the number of visits.
Student-led initiatives, like Sprouts Cafe in the Life Building, have worked to create cheap and healthy food options for students on campus by offering free meals and produce boxes.
Thandi Fletcher, senior media strategist at UBC Media Relations, said that food prices at UBC are market-driven and “reflects the university’s commitment to providing high-quality, sustainable, locally and ethically-sourced food.”
According to Fletcher, more than 60 per cent of ingredients are purchased locally, including from the UBC Farm, while 34 per cent of ingredients at UBC Okanagan are purchased locally from BC — and 15 per cent are hyperlocal to the Okanagan.
Fletcher also suggested some more low-cost options offered by UBC, such as Foood and the Food Hub Market.
Sprouts, a student volunteer-run cafe in the Life Building, has also worked to offer cheaper and healthier food options for students
Oceania Chee, a first-year arts student shared that, while there are sections of the cafeteria dedicated to locally-sourced food, “it doesn't really have any bearing on the price as far as I can tell.”
“There's a mismatch there in the amount that you have to spend and the quality that you get ... it's very noticeable for the first-year student residences in particular,” she said.
This system, Oceania said, limits how students can use their money and disincentivizes students going to other restaurants.
“I think one of the main reasons why people eat at first-year residences at all is because it's part of your housing plan …. they kind of like trap you into using up your money that way.”
Currently, first years living in UBC Housing are required to purchase a Meal Plan that divides their money into Res or Flex Dollars that can only be used in certain locations on campus.
When discussing how UBC could help, Oceania suggested that UBC Housing allow Res and Flex dollars to be used at other nearby restaurants.
“I don't think anybody would eat at the dining halls [if the meal plan could be spent elsewhere], to be honest, because there are just so many better options on campus,” she added.