A meal of rice and fried chicken sparked a conversation on Threads after a Malaysian student described it as her reality of student life.
While some responded with photos of their own simple meals, others pointed out that having chicken was already a step up from what they usually ate.
The student later clarified that the KFC meal was an occasional treat, and that she too skipped meals to save money.
‘The reality of being a student’
Taking to Threads, user @aqilahriii shared a photo of rice, fried chicken, coleslaw and sauce on a KFC wrapper.
The reality of being a student, eating rice and fried chicken dipped in sauce,” she wrote in Malay, alongside a teary emoji.
At the time of writing, the screenshot of the post showed it had attracted around 405,000 views and 16,000 likes, with hundreds of replies.
Among them were fellow students and other users sharing what their own meals looked like when money was tight.
Rice with soy sauce and packet snacks
One commenter replied that at least the original poster had chicken, adding that their own meal consisted of plain rice, soy sauce and packet snacks.
The accompanying photo showed three takeaway containers of rice, with crackers scattered over the top and a bottle of soy sauce nearby.
Another student shared photos of rice served with fried eggs and sauce, joking that theirs was truly a meal of “rice, egg and sauce”.
Others posted their own combinations, including rice topped with an omelette, with vegetables and soup on the side.
However, some replies went beyond meal photos and touched on the lengths people had gone to make their food last.
One user recalled turning plain rice into porridge, adding only salt and carrots so there would be enough to eat until the following day.
Another commenter, who said they had studied at UiTM Segamat, recalled skipping breakfast, eating nasi lemak with only sambal for lunch, and having instant noodles or crackers at night.
KFC was a rare treat
Responding to the comparisons, aqilahriii explained that the photo did not reflect what she ate every day.
She said she had only eaten KFC once that semester and usually had simpler meals such as rice with soy sauce and eggs.
In one reply, she also shared that she often skipped meals to save money and sometimes ate biscuits from morning until night.
“Relax, abang. I’ve only eaten KFC once this semester too,” she wrote, before explaining her own efforts to cut spending on food.
She also posted photos of other meals, including rice with an omelette and rice with anchovies and sambal.
Sells cakes to earn extra money
When another commenter pointed out that even some working adults struggled to afford lunch, @aqilahriii responded by sharing how she earned money on the side.
According to her reply, she sold cakes and offered various services to supplement her income.
Despite the comparisons in the comments, she ended her replies with a wish for everyone to have enough to enjoy better meals.
