News | Wednesday, 8th November 2023
Eating well on a student budget
How to shop and cook without breaking the bank
Student life is busy and because of this, it is easy to fall into the trap of eating whatever is fast and easy. Often this means grabbing a takeaway or unhealthy snack food. Not only is this an expensive habit, but it’s also not the best way to fuel your body and mind.
So how to you eat well without breaking the bank? We’ve pulled together some advice on how to create tasty student meals and snacks that will help you save money and reduce waste.
Food shopping and cooking on a student budget
When it comes to buying food and cooking on your own, preparation is key. Here’s four tips on how to start your path to eating well on a budget.
1. Create a meal plan
We all do it. You can go to the shops to buy food but don’t really think about what you need. This means you walk out with random items or just enough food to last a day or two.
There’s an easy way to combat this. Before you go food shopping create a list of the meals you want to cook and what items you will need to make them.
Not sure where to start? Save The Student have developed a handy weekly meal plan with tips on creating healthy meals and snacks.
2. Bulk Buy
You might think that buying only what you need is the right way to shop, but actually it can be cheaper to buy in bulk. Things like pasta, rice, stock, meat, and fish are good examples. They are easy to store or freeze, so that you can weigh out single portions, which helps you to reduce waste and stops you from having to buy these items every week.
3. Buy frozen fruit and vegetables
We often hear the saying ‘fresh is best’ when it comes to eating healthy. However, buying frozen fruit and vegetable can be just as nutritious can the fresh stuff, but much less expensive. It’s also great for people who like to make smoothies or who want an easy side dish to go with their meals.
3. Batch cooking
Whether you enjoy cooking or not, it can be a time-consuming activity. But there is one way to take the hassle out of cooking everyday – batch cooking!
If you buy certain foods in bulk, why not cook in bulk too. By using one evening a week to prep and cook meals, it can give you meals for days. All you have to do is heat them up.
Check out the Student Pocket guide to the best batch cooking ideas for students.
Quick and easy student meals and recipes
Eating on a student budget doesn’t mean just eating beans on toast or pot noodles. There are plenty of simple recipes that are easy to make and taste great too. Here’s just a few examples from Tesco that you can make on your own or with your housemates that won’t cost the earth:
Carbonara Pasta Bake – serves four and costs 0.79p per serving
Fish Finger Katsu Wraps – serves four and costs 0.56p per serving
Spiced Cauliflower Steak Burgers – serves four and costs £1.56 per serving
Batch-Cook Soup Concentrate – serves eight and costs 0.32p per serving
5-Ingredient Piri-Piri Pasta – serves four and costs £1.02 per serving
Sometimes cooking for one can feel challenging, which is why so many people resort to ready meals. But it doesn’t need to be. Check out these budget meal plans for one that all come under £10.
Sustainable food Apps
OLIO
Aims to connect neighbours and businesses so food can be shared, not thrown away. On OLIO, you’ll find local people giving away food and other household items to their neighbours, all for free. This includes Pret and some Tesco stores across the city.
Apple Store | Google Play
Too Good To Go
This app aims to make sure good food gets eaten, not wasted. Across Manchester, fresh food and drinks get thrown away from cafes, restaurants, and hotels every day, just because it hasn’t sold in time.
Too Good To Go lets you buy and collect this food, at a significantly discounted price, to reduce waste. There are loads of vendors around campus, the city centre, and Fallowfield offering meals and bags of food starting from £2.
Apple Store | Google Play
SuperCook
Do you struggle for inspiration when it comes to deciding what to cook? Unsure of how to use up leftover ingredients in your fridge but don’t want to throw them away?
SuperCook is the app for you! Find thousands of recipes broken down into categories at your fingertips. Simply enter the ingredients you have in your cupboards and fridge and SuperCook generates recipes you can make with what you already have.
Apple Store | Google Play
