What to eat as a student

If you're living in student accommodation while studying, you'll likely be self-catered which means cooking for yourself! It gives you great freedom to eat exactly what you want, but it can be overwhelming not knowing where to start or what to buy each week while keeping to a budget. Here we share some tips on what to make sure is in your basket, and ideas on what to eat to keep healthy on a budget.

Essential foods you might forget

If you're lost in a sea of shelves and don't know where to begin, let's start with the basics. These are great to have stocked in your cupboards and fridge when arriving at university so you can start well!

Your uni food shopping list:

• Baked beans
• Biscuits
• Butter
• Coffee
• Cooking oil
• Chopped tomatoes
• Eggs
• Frozen vegetables
• Frozen pizza
• Garlic
• Milk
• Mixed herbs
• Noodles
• Onions
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Salt and pepper
• Sauces (ketchup, mustard, soy sauce)
• Spices
• Sugar
• Tea bags
• Tinned soup
• Tinned tuna
• Tinned sweetcorn

This is not everything but a good place to start - you'll have many of the essentials to get you started so you can think about what you can cook each week. It's easy to turn to convenience food, such as ready meals, but over time this can become expensive and can harm your concerntration and energy levels. It's always good to have something easy to make after nights out or later nights in the library, but try and avoid relying on these and give cooking a go! Looking for essential kitchen equipment? Check out our uni packing list!

Cooking at university

Everyone has a different level of knowledge before university as well as a level of how they enjoy cooking. Some students enjoy the process of cooking and taking the time away from studying, others would rather they spend as little time in the kitchen as possible. Here are some classic student meal ideas based on how much cooking you're up for!

Super easy meals if you're short on time

These require one or two pans - super quick with minimal washing up!

• Carbonara
• Curry
• Egg fried rice
• Gnocchi
• Jacket potato and toppings
• Omelette
• Pasta and sauce (tomato, pesto, cheese)
• Pasta bake

What to eat if you have more time

If you have more time to chop, stir and create some delicious meals with minimal ingredients to make it budget-friendly, give these a go!

• Chilli
• Fajitas
• Nachos
• Pie
• Risotto
• Spaghetti bolognese
• Stew
• Stir fry and noodles

What to eat before an exam

It's easy to not want to eat before an exam - nerves can make you feel sick or you don't think you have the time - but it's really important that you eat the right food to make you feel good going into your exam.

The night before, make sure you step away from your revision and have something nutritious. It's true what they say about fish - it's brain food! If this is something you eat, try and incorporate it into your meal. Go for something filling that has protein, carbs and vegetables to keep you full and gives you the energy to carry on revising and support a good night's sleep.

In the morning you, again, want something that will give you the energy to get you through your exam. Students love porridge topped with berries to keep them full. Others opt for toast, peanut butter and banana or yoghurt with fruit and granola. Or go for something savoury like eggs, bacon and toast. Make it something you enjoy eating, that will keep you full and is quick to put together before you head off to your exam.

Batch cooking

A fantastic way to make sure you always have something to eat on days you've run out of time or just can't be bothered, is batch-cooking meals. This not only saves you time but is also a great way to make your budget stretch further. Instead of planning your meals one by one and getting different ingredients, create enough portions for 3-4 meals and spread this out over the next week or so.

Some great recipes to batch and freeze are things like curries, chillies, bolognese sauce or even slices of pie or lasagne! This way if you need convenience, you won't run straight to the pot noodles but have something more filling and nutritious waiting for you!