Survival Guide for Eating Well at College

Survival Guide for Eating Well at College

Whether you’re returning to college or a first-timer, there are lots of ways to ensure you always have something tasty and healthy to eat while stretching your budget to go further for the fun parts of college life.

If this is your first time away from home, it can initially be a daunting prospect to look after yourself and ensure you’re not living on a diet of more expensive, convenience food so we’ve put together some tips to help you get into a routine that will feed your brain and body without impinging on your social life and help to #stopfoodwaste!

• Know what you are going to eat: Cooking for yourself is much easier when you know what you’re going to eat during the week. Planning a few meals in advance is a game-changer and a great way to save yourself time and money. Spend ten minutes thinking about what you’re going to eat over the next few days and note it down on your phone, then buy just what you need. If you’re not sure how to plan your meals ask for help at home or check out our handy tips to get you started.

 

• Stock up on staples: On a tight budget? Start by stocking up on store cupboard essentials. It doesn’t have to be all rice and pasta, you could have a store of things like chickpeas, beans, noodles, lentils, curry sauces, tinned tomatoes, etc. Then you only need to buy fresh ingredients when you need them. You can even challenge your cooking skills and make a delicious, no-spend dinner using what you have in your cupboard once a week!

 

 

• Double up: It can be hard not to waste food when cooking for one so why not batch cook two dinners and have an easy meal for another time. For the same amount of effort, you get twice the benefit! Pop the extra portion in the fridge for dinner tomorrow or freeze it to enjoy next week. Future hungry you will thank you.

 

 

• Busy social life, plans change? Remember the freezer is your friend! You can freeze almost anything so if you won’t get time to eat it today, pop it in the freezer to eat another time.

 

 

• Set up a sharing shelf: If you are in a houseshare or sharing a kitchen in campus accommodation, consider setting up a shelf in the fridge or cupboard to let everyone know food left there is fair game. This is especially useful if members of the household are going away for the weekend or if you’ve made too much of something. There are lots more ideas here for food waste free houseshares.

 

We love hearing about the top tips you put into action! Tell us yours by following StopFoodWaste on social media.

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