These hacks have been my primary means of survival for the past two years. Most of us are low on time, cash, energy, willpower, and housekeeping skills. So these are just a few food hacks that make life a little better, and don’t require any of the weird and wonderful gadgets we’ll probably only have once our student debt is behind us.
1. Don’t buy your treats, bake them
You do not have to have lots of baking experience for this to be viable – recipes tell you everything. You don’t even need fancy baking equipment. For the last two years I have used my only mug as a measuring cup, and my fork as a whisk. Nothing has flopped on me, and I feel like MacGyver every time. As chocolate gets more and more expensive (back in my day…) and your budget starts blanching, this becomes a great option. And there is so much variety! My favourites are these chocolate chip peanut butter cookies http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-51104 , and these cocoa brownies https://cafedelites.com/best-fudgy-cocoa-brownies/ . And for something a little healthier, this carrot and apple bread which I ate as my lunch, dinner and pudding, it was so good https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/carrot-apple-bread.html# . Baking is really therapeutic. You will love taking a quick break from your studies to make something which is going to make the rest of the studies SO much better. And I have not bought a chocolate in at least 5 months now – they just don’t taste as good.
2. Freeze your bread
You might think that sounds a little suspicious, but bread freezes great, and what single person without an impressive taste for bread can finish a whole loaf before little patches of mold start showing up? Take a few slices off your frozen bread, leave it for 20 minutes, and it’s as fresh as the first day.
3. Flash-freeze your fruit
While we are on the topic of freezing things, there’s fruit too! If you’ve been scoping those sales, or your favourite produce-vendor outside Shoprite throws in an extra banana with your week’s veggies, and you can’t eat enough fruit before it goes off – flash freeze it! You just cut it up, place it on a tray or board, and slip it in the freezer. 30 minutes later you can take it out, put it into a little baggie or container, and back in the freezer. I did it with my pineapple, and I’ve been pulling it out for smoothies and pizzas (yes, sorry) for weeks now. It works for all fruit! I use the same trick when I cook chickpeas, or beans of any sort.
4. Go vegetarian half the week
If, like me, you are just too keen on meat to go vegetarian, but those prices have you wincing, and you’re a little suspicious of that always-on-promotion meat, go veg half the week. As my month gets tighter, I often extend it to six days a week, but half usually does the trick! Legumes are super valuable here, because veggies and carbs alone do not quite fill the hole. Those chickpeas and beans (and lentils, which you hated all through childhood, but which I promise are better than you ever allowed yourself to believe) in the freezer, nicely flash-frozen and bagged, really put a meal on its feet. As always, the internet is your best friend here. There are so many great vegetarian meals, you’re bound to find easy recipes you love.
5. Container bowls
This one may be a little scummy for most, but considering it’s my favourite food hack, I’ve included it for those of us with little shame and a severe distaste for cleaning. If you do not have the time or will to wash dishes, and you can stand living like a beast (which I can), then containers make for great bowls, and their lids are perfect little pudding plates. Who ever said bowls need to be reasonable sized? Eat out of that 2l ice cream tub you saved! It’s invigorating really.