A Hotel Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute professor said students should cook at home to balance a food budget best.

Ken Jarvis has been with the Hotel Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute for 26 years, and he suggested using coupons on apps when shopping at grocery stores.

“For example, when you shop at Whole Foods and use their app, you can generally save $5 on $20 worth of produce,” Jarvis said, “which is healthy but also less expensive.”

Jarvis also said the value of cooking at home is important.

“I generally find that I eat healthier when I prepare my meals at home,” he said. “I can cook a little extra for myself and then save some for the next day. It also tends to be about half the price.”

Samantha White, a first-year transfer student, said she noticed fast food is the most expensive option.

Cheyenne Jones, a first-year theater major, said she prefers the healthier route over fast food when eating at the college.

Jarvis said students can also make containers of soup, freeze them and then defrost them to bring to school.