Meal planning1 min read
Meal planning for students: eat well on a tiny budget
Cheap staples, one-pot meals and batch cooking for students with a small kitchen, a tight budget and very little time.
Between lectures, work and a social life, cooking is often the first thing to go. Add a small budget and a shared kitchen, and it's easy to live on instant noodles and takeout. A little planning makes eating well far cheaper and easier than you'd think.
Build around cheap staples
- Oats, rice, pasta and potatoes
- Eggs, tinned beans, lentils and chickpeas
- Tinned tomatoes and tinned fish
- Frozen vegetables and fruit
- Onions, carrots, cabbage and bananas
These are cheap, keep for a long time and form the base of dozens of meals.
Master a few one-pot meals
- Chilli with beans and rice
- Lentil and vegetable curry
- Pasta with tomato sauce, tuna and frozen peas
- Egg fried rice with frozen veg
- Shakshuka with bread
One pot means less washing up in a shared kitchen, and most of these make enough for several meals.
Batch cook once a week
Cook a big pot on Sunday and portion it into containers. Keep a few in the fridge for the next few days and freeze the rest. A freezer full of homemade meals beats a takeout order on a late night.
Shop smart
- Write a list from your plan and stick to it
- Compare unit prices, not pack prices
- Try supermarket own brands
- Shop at the end of the day for reduced items, and freeze what you won't eat soon
Keep it simple
You don't need to plan every meal. Planning just your dinners for the week, with leftovers for lunch, covers most of the effort. Mealful can build a plan around your goals and turn it into a grocery list with exact quantities, so you only buy what you'll use.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
