Where did your last meal come from?

If you’re an underclassmen, it was probably a dining hall, in which case don’t think any more about that question, for your own well-being.

If you’re an upperclassman, however, you have some opportunity for variety in healthy and nutritious dieting outside Sodexo’s restrictive fare. My last meal came straight from my pantry, which my roommates and I recently fully stocked. We, luckily, have a couple of cars between us to drive two miles to the downtown Pick n’ Save, giving us a robust pantry and full fridge.

That Pick n’ Save, located on Ogden and Lyon, is one of the only downtown grocers in Milwaukee. Although the produce is not always great, it is acceptable. The store is easy to maneuver and they keep shelves well-stocked. The prices are more affordable than Metro Market, let alone Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

Still, if not having a grocery store convenient enough to walk to is a pain for us, and our best options for cheap produce are mediocre, imagine how difficult it is to raise a healthy family in downtown Milwaukee with a tight budget.

It can’t be easy, that’s for sure.

With few major grocery stores in the most urban and poorest areas, options are incredibly limited. Our campus is situated in such a neighborhood, with the two nearest Pick n’ Saves each two miles away. We live in a food desert.

There are an estimated 23 million people living in food deserts in America. The Department of Agriculture has defined these areas as low-income census tracts where a substantial number of residents has limited access to a supermarket or larger grocery store.

As students, we have options to find an oasis in the food desert that others do not. We have the opportunity to purchase a meal plan, borrow a car, be creative with bus routes and the ability to borrow money from our parents. Even in our most stressed and busiest of moments, Marquette students are able to eat.

But we must acknowledge that we live in a city divided: by race, by wealth and by food.

Honorary alumni Will Allen is on a mission to eliminate Milwaukee’s food desert. He founded Growing Power, an urban farm and education center in north Milwaukee, next to a low-income housing development miles away from any grocery store. The urban garden offers citizens a healthy diet, feeding more than 10,000 people with fresh produce, meat and fish.

Independent grocery stores are also combating the issue. Pete’s Fruit Market on the South Side offers truly quality produce at an amazing price. After hearing rave reviews, some friends and I decided to check it out — and it lived up to the hype.

The store was clean and organized and there was plenty of fresh produce, as well as other necessary groceries. For less than $15, I got a week’s worth of fruit and vegetables — a virtually impossible task at any chain grocery store.

Pete Tsiritidis started out with just a small stand in 1993, but he recently upgraded to a larger store, featuring a full grocery section, complete meat department and specialty Hispanic groceries. On a chilly spring Sunday morning, the store was filled with people, as Pete himself stood handing free samples with Spanish music filling the air. Piling back into our car with bags of fresh food, we could not believe how much we got for how little we spent and agreed this would be our spot for produce from now on.

We are lucky that we do not have to worry much about where our next meal comes from. But as people with the means to shop where we choose, have a responsibility to shop at places that promote equity.

By shopping at small and locally-owned markets, Marquette students can promote places like Growing Power and Pete’s Fruit Market, and thus encourage low prices and good quality. Plus, it’s a great deal for us as college students, who are conscious of where our money goes — because we don’t have much, and we want to spend it on fun, not groceries.

Supporting alternative grocery stores is an easy way to support our community — and it’s a delightful way to spend a Sunday morning.