Youtube videos aim to help Humber students think and eat outside the box

Nov 13, 2015 | Life

Kelsey Coles

If you’re a student, then you are probably fairly familiar with Kraft Dinner and Mr.Noodles meals.

Sure, they’re classics for college and university students, but balancing your grocery money responsibly can be difficult.

According to the Ontario Association of Food Banks 2014 Hunger Report, four per cent of post-secondary students in Ontario use food banks.

The report also found first-time food bank users have increased by 20 per cent in 2014.

At Humber, a new student-oriented cooking series aims to get students thinking outside the box, literally, about how to eat better cheaper.

Ammar Abdul-Raheem and Andron McKoy are posting a new youtube video each month that features budget-friendly step-by-step meals that students can make with little to no effort.

The videos, called Nom Kings, are dedicated to helping students find cheap food alternatives.

“It started out because of our love for food,” Abdul-Raheem, vice president of student life at Humber College’s North campus, told Humber News.

“It’s very student eccentric. The food we prepare, like Ramen or Mr.Noodles, to me that’s very student friendly.”

Balancing finances can be a challenge for students and according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives fees for post secondary students have tripled since 1993.

Abdul-Raheem said he hopes to create more dining options for students on campus.

“How can we make good food that we want to eat? Food that’s different and unique and would capture an audience? Food that you don’t have to have an oven or stove for?” he said.

“A lot of the time on residence we don’t have access to stoves or ovens, so that’s our twist to it.”

The medium-sized meal plan in Humber’s residence averages out to around $12 a day, which can be difficult for students to manage.

“It’s hard. There’s a lot of things we hope to accomplish with these videos,” Abdul-Raheem said,“one of them, first of all, is reducing our financial risk for students.”