Many of us students struggle to eat healthily on a budget, that alcohol and club entry seem to get priority of. Having a good diet makes us feel better, keeps us slim and I promise it can be done on a small budget.
A lot of people think that eating healthily can only be done by eating a truckload of fruit and vegetables each week. This is the expensive way to eat healthily but there is another way to keep your mind, body AND your wallet happy! So ill let you in on a few tips…
- Frozen fruit and vegetables.
The freezer is a students’ best friend. Not only is frozen fruit and veg cheaper, it’s less hassle to prepare and you won’t have to worry about fresh produce going off in the fridge. Pop a couple of brocoli florets in the microwave and you’ve boosted the nutritional value of your meal in a matter of minutes!
Frozen fruit such as berries, cut up bananas, melon and pineapple are great for the basis of a refreshing smoothie.
- Batch cooking.
Cooking up a big ol’ batch of chilli con carne, curry, soup, bolognaise is a great way to save money. Once cooked, divide the dish into plastic freezer bags and freeze. You will be feeling so smug when your housemates are slaving away at the stove whilst you press a button on the microwave and your healthy ready meal is served!
- Eating less meat.
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This may not be popular amongst the die-hard meat eaters but it is something to consider if you’re eating on a budget. Packs of meat can make up a large chunk of your food bill if you’re not careful. Save eating meat for special occasions, your body and bank account will benefit. Meat is notorious for being high in saturated fat that is linked to cardiovascular diseases.
But “where will I get my protein from?” I hear you say! This leads me nicely on to….
- Canned foodÂ
Ok – I’m aware that canned food doesn’t exactly sound like it’s going to tingle your taste buds but hear me out here! Cans of wholefoods such as beans, lentils, tuna, salmon, sardines and chickpeas are cheap and a great source of protein. Casseroles can be bulked out with kidney beans or chickpeas. Wholefoods like this are filling, cheap and have excellent nutritional value.
Tip: Buy cans of mixed beans and add to brown rice to make a rice salad for lunch. Make a big batch to have lunch ready made for the week.
And finally…
- Be organised!
This may well be the most important tip to staying healthy on a budget. We’ve all done it – a massive healthy supermarket shop with all the fruit and vegetables known to man. This is not the way forward, even a monster rabbit wouldn’t be able to get through that much fruit and veg and most of it ends up in the bin. The trick is to buy 2 or 3 types of fruit or veg for the week. If you like variety, use those (ridiculously fiddly) plastic bags to choose just one or two of each item.
Plan your meals around the fresh produce that you have in fridge to make sure nothing goes out of date.Â
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