Students on a Budget Can Eat Well

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New students will be looking forward to the start of their first year at college or university. While some will continue to live at home and eat with their families, many will have their first experience of independent living and having to shop and cook for themselves. If they are on a strict budget, it can be difficult to eat healthily and enjoyably. Here are some tips to do both.

1. The first thing to do is work out how much you will have to spend on food each week. When you work it all out, don't forget that you may also have to buy things like washing powder, washing-up liquid and other consumables that don't count as food.

2. If you buy mainly prepared foods like frozen meals, it will cost more than making those same meals from scratch. Many recipes are simple and quick to make - you don't need to be a cordon bleu chef to cook a cottage pie, grill some sausages or boil some pasta and knock up a sauce. The preparation time for all of these would be no more than 15 minutes, even for a beginner.

3. Buying basic ingredients and cooking them will also be more nutritious. Ready meals are usually high in salt, sugar and trans fats so should be avoided as a regular part of your diet.

4. Visit the supermarket late afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. You might find that a lot of fresh food is marked down in price because it is getting close to its 'sell by' date. It is safe to buy and eat as long as you cook it by the 'use by' date or freeze it immediately. You should also keep a look out for the shelves most stores devote to dented cans and torn packets which are also sold at a discount on the normal price.

5. When buying fruit and vegetables, compare prices. You might find that your local greengrocer or stall in a market is cheaper than the supermarket.

6. In supermarkets, their 'own brand' products, eg baked beans, are often much cheaper than the well known brands. In the UK you can compare price per kilo because this is always shown on the price tickets on shelves.

7. Buy produce in season, tomatoes and strawberries in August are cheap, in December they are expensive.

8. Try to cook one dish that will last for several meals. A stew or casserole is good for this. That way you save time and you have your own ready meals. If you have access to a freezer, just package it up into portions, cool quickly and when completely cold, freeze it. Then all you have to do is take out one portion and reheat thoroughly so it is piping hot all the way through.

9. If you cook too much, freeze what you don't need or at least put it in the refrigerator and eat it the following day. Waste food and you waste money.

10. It is so tempting to buy all kinds of food that your mother would never buy when you are in charge. Remember, though, that money wasted at the beginning of term will mean living on baked beans on toast at the end.

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Copyright © 2004 Carol Fisher. All Rights Reserved.