Skimp or Spend Food: Uni students
Students and non-students will benefit from these top tips on whether to skimp or spend on these everyday food items. Many things as a student are important and food is normally near the top ,ASSIGNMENTS should be at the top! I was a Uni student myself for three long years enduring a student house and minimal finances. I enjoyed every minuet of it and would love to do a masters. But I picked up on many tips and tricks with food along the way.
I watched some students become physically unwell with their dietary habits, spending a fortune on big named brands and using a whole terms food budget in two weeks! Overpriced takeaways and expensive impulse buys, ouch I can feel my purse screaming! These tips and tricks were built on three years of experience, and watching others spending habits. It appeared that some students didn't have a lot of culinary skills while others were looking for convenient options for super hungry moments.
Here are some tips on what to spend and save on.
Fresh Meat
Ah meat that slightly expensive luxury which most people love. Considering that a lot of cheap cuts of meat are higher in fat content or are totally made of super tough meat, good quality meat, reared well is far better than trying to skimp ending up with something the cat would turn it's nose up on. If you're on a tight budget generally speaking larger pieces of meat, such as a whole chicken, are cheaper than smaller cuts of meat. Remember you can freeze meat, but make sure to defrost well according to the manufactures instructions. Frozen meat from the frozen isle is cheaper too. Sausages which are cheap are also full of other ingredients to pack them out besides pork. For example Tesco's Value sausages only contain 50% pork (66p per pack), While Tesco's Butchers choice contain 72% pork (£1.50). Sourced Here
Verdict: Spend
Fish
Fish is full of the important nutrient Omega oils. However you don't need to SHELL out (see what I did there) for fish to provide good quality nutrition, and taste fantastic. Buying the super expensive popular fishes such as cod, salmon, Tuna and Haddock will set you back more than buying less well known fish. Buying fish from the frozen isle will also save you money as they are far cheaper than their fresh companions. Trust me you'll never know the difference when you're eating a fish cake or fish fingers. Cheaper fish options are often called "white fish", these are often Pacific Pollock , Alaska Pollock. Other cheaper alternative fish are: River Cobbler, Mackerel, Kipper and Sole. If you are worried they will be unappetizing Birdseye's new line called inspirations use Alaska Pollock as their fish, and it's fantastic! If you want to find out more about Birdseye's range CLICK
Quick Idea: Show off to friends with this fish and rice dish! Take any fish and fry in a frying pan till cooked. Add cooked rice , vegetable stock (a stock cube mixed with water) chopped onions, chili and peas and serve. It is such a colorful dish to serve up any day of the week. This works with any fish!
Verdict: Skimp
Vegetables
Vegetables are a vital part of any balanced diet. They contain a lot of vitamins, minerals ,antioxidants and other trace nutrients which are vital for any busy brain. Buying fresh has long been the tradition over frozen. But frozen tends to be cheaper, easier to cook and it preserves the product and nutrients far beyond their fresh cousins. It is also really convenient to stock up when you have a few pound and they will keep for the whole semester! Of course if you're still a mega fan of fresh but worry about not using all the veg before it's best by date, you can cook them and freeze them. Easy pea-sy!
Quick Idea: A quick and easy to do recipe is to cook a baked potato, allow to cool down, fill with filling such as cheese and freeze in tin foil. Then whenever you want a quick tea/lunch stick it into the oven till it's cooked through, you can even keep it in the tin foil to cook it in! Another easy idea is when you're cooking pasta in a pan, chuck in a handful of frozen vegetables which will cook alongside the pasta.
Verdict: Skimp- Choose frozen!
Pasta
Pasta is a base product that almost all students will become accustomed to eating over their time as a student. There is now isles in supermarkets devoted to pasta products, we just love our pasta. Fresh, dried, stuffed, whole grain, colored the list is endless. The expensive end of the scale is fresh pasta stuffed with the likes of basil, cheese and bacon. The cheap end of the scale is supermarket basics (Tesco is 30p for a 500g bag) which is far cheaper and lets face facts it's all PASTA! Dried pasta is also far better than fresh, you tend to get a more consistent product with an outstanding shelf life.
Quick Idea: Take any basic pasta (cooked), a can of chicken soup, pieces of cooked chicken and a good two hand fulls of frozen peas place in a baking tray and cook through in an oven. This makes a yummy quick tea for anyone. This was always a winner with my student friends. Winner, winner chicken dinner!
Verdict: Skimp
Pizza
It's another product beginning with a P, perfect! But pizza is that super yummy product which when you've just written a 3000 word assignment you feel you have deserved. But their is a huge variety. From super brands doing take away such as Domino's, Pizza hut and Papa johns these super brands come with a hot price tag! There is of course the brands of the supermarket, good fella, Dr Oetka, Chicargo town and supermarket own brands. The price differences can be huge ranging from £15.99 for take away, to 60p supermarket value brand. Many supermarket own, and supermarket brands come in around £1-£3, that means you could buy 15 pizzas at £1 and have 99p change for the price of one pizza takeaway. The supermarkets have really seen that people love their pizza, and now do the largest topping selection catering to all tastes, dietary needs and budgets. Of course you can always make your own, which is what I love doing, but this is time consuming and expensive. If you're throwing a film night, lads/ladies night in buy in frozen pizza from the super market. You'll save a huge amount! Iceland even do a stuffed crust option for £2, even saving money you won't be loosing out!
Quick Idea: Don't think you can devour a whole pizza alone? While it is still frozen grab a good pair of scissors and cut it into portions for you to cook. If it won't cut try putting half the pizza over the end of a counter top, table or even your knee, apply pressure to the piece hanging over, it should break off in a clean line. Just pop the other piece back into the freezer in cling film. The skills you learn being a student!
Verdict: Skimp
Coffee and Tea
The non-alcoholic drinks which kept you from loosing your marbles reading through thousands of research papers, looking for the needle in the haystack. I have tried many tea brands, own brands such as Aldi, Tesco, Asda and various others. Sad to say non were as good as the branded coffee and tea products. If they had tasted great I wouldn't hesitate. As well as taste it is a basic luxury which you will use every day, they can be the bonding moment with friends, something you take with you in a flask or something you consume in front of the laptop working. I think we all deserve a little bit of luxury.
Verdict: Spend
Ready meals
Although I would recommend steering clear of all ready meals, i'm aware that sometimes it's quicker, easier and cheaper than buying everything fresh for one person alone. But should you spend or skimp on these products? From trying loads of ready meals from all brands including supermarket own brand I see little to no difference in taste.
Verdict: Skimp
Well I hope that has given you some food for thought? If you have any other advice please comment below. I know everyone is different but this was based on three years of my own experience. I hope you enjoyed reading.
Laura x
Here are some tips on what to spend and save on.
Fresh Meat
Ah meat that slightly expensive luxury which most people love. Considering that a lot of cheap cuts of meat are higher in fat content or are totally made of super tough meat, good quality meat, reared well is far better than trying to skimp ending up with something the cat would turn it's nose up on. If you're on a tight budget generally speaking larger pieces of meat, such as a whole chicken, are cheaper than smaller cuts of meat. Remember you can freeze meat, but make sure to defrost well according to the manufactures instructions. Frozen meat from the frozen isle is cheaper too. Sausages which are cheap are also full of other ingredients to pack them out besides pork. For example Tesco's Value sausages only contain 50% pork (66p per pack), While Tesco's Butchers choice contain 72% pork (£1.50). Sourced Here
Verdict: Spend
Fish
Fish is full of the important nutrient Omega oils. However you don't need to SHELL out (see what I did there) for fish to provide good quality nutrition, and taste fantastic. Buying the super expensive popular fishes such as cod, salmon, Tuna and Haddock will set you back more than buying less well known fish. Buying fish from the frozen isle will also save you money as they are far cheaper than their fresh companions. Trust me you'll never know the difference when you're eating a fish cake or fish fingers. Cheaper fish options are often called "white fish", these are often Pacific Pollock , Alaska Pollock. Other cheaper alternative fish are: River Cobbler, Mackerel, Kipper and Sole. If you are worried they will be unappetizing Birdseye's new line called inspirations use Alaska Pollock as their fish, and it's fantastic! If you want to find out more about Birdseye's range CLICK
Quick Idea: Show off to friends with this fish and rice dish! Take any fish and fry in a frying pan till cooked. Add cooked rice , vegetable stock (a stock cube mixed with water) chopped onions, chili and peas and serve. It is such a colorful dish to serve up any day of the week. This works with any fish!
Verdict: Skimp
Vegetables
Vegetables are a vital part of any balanced diet. They contain a lot of vitamins, minerals ,antioxidants and other trace nutrients which are vital for any busy brain. Buying fresh has long been the tradition over frozen. But frozen tends to be cheaper, easier to cook and it preserves the product and nutrients far beyond their fresh cousins. It is also really convenient to stock up when you have a few pound and they will keep for the whole semester! Of course if you're still a mega fan of fresh but worry about not using all the veg before it's best by date, you can cook them and freeze them. Easy pea-sy!
Quick Idea: A quick and easy to do recipe is to cook a baked potato, allow to cool down, fill with filling such as cheese and freeze in tin foil. Then whenever you want a quick tea/lunch stick it into the oven till it's cooked through, you can even keep it in the tin foil to cook it in! Another easy idea is when you're cooking pasta in a pan, chuck in a handful of frozen vegetables which will cook alongside the pasta.
Verdict: Skimp- Choose frozen!
Pasta
Pasta is a base product that almost all students will become accustomed to eating over their time as a student. There is now isles in supermarkets devoted to pasta products, we just love our pasta. Fresh, dried, stuffed, whole grain, colored the list is endless. The expensive end of the scale is fresh pasta stuffed with the likes of basil, cheese and bacon. The cheap end of the scale is supermarket basics (Tesco is 30p for a 500g bag) which is far cheaper and lets face facts it's all PASTA! Dried pasta is also far better than fresh, you tend to get a more consistent product with an outstanding shelf life.
Quick Idea: Take any basic pasta (cooked), a can of chicken soup, pieces of cooked chicken and a good two hand fulls of frozen peas place in a baking tray and cook through in an oven. This makes a yummy quick tea for anyone. This was always a winner with my student friends. Winner, winner chicken dinner!
Verdict: Skimp
Pizza
It's another product beginning with a P, perfect! But pizza is that super yummy product which when you've just written a 3000 word assignment you feel you have deserved. But their is a huge variety. From super brands doing take away such as Domino's, Pizza hut and Papa johns these super brands come with a hot price tag! There is of course the brands of the supermarket, good fella, Dr Oetka, Chicargo town and supermarket own brands. The price differences can be huge ranging from £15.99 for take away, to 60p supermarket value brand. Many supermarket own, and supermarket brands come in around £1-£3, that means you could buy 15 pizzas at £1 and have 99p change for the price of one pizza takeaway. The supermarkets have really seen that people love their pizza, and now do the largest topping selection catering to all tastes, dietary needs and budgets. Of course you can always make your own, which is what I love doing, but this is time consuming and expensive. If you're throwing a film night, lads/ladies night in buy in frozen pizza from the super market. You'll save a huge amount! Iceland even do a stuffed crust option for £2, even saving money you won't be loosing out!
Quick Idea: Don't think you can devour a whole pizza alone? While it is still frozen grab a good pair of scissors and cut it into portions for you to cook. If it won't cut try putting half the pizza over the end of a counter top, table or even your knee, apply pressure to the piece hanging over, it should break off in a clean line. Just pop the other piece back into the freezer in cling film. The skills you learn being a student!
Verdict: Skimp
Coffee and Tea
The non-alcoholic drinks which kept you from loosing your marbles reading through thousands of research papers, looking for the needle in the haystack. I have tried many tea brands, own brands such as Aldi, Tesco, Asda and various others. Sad to say non were as good as the branded coffee and tea products. If they had tasted great I wouldn't hesitate. As well as taste it is a basic luxury which you will use every day, they can be the bonding moment with friends, something you take with you in a flask or something you consume in front of the laptop working. I think we all deserve a little bit of luxury.
Verdict: Spend
Ready meals
Although I would recommend steering clear of all ready meals, i'm aware that sometimes it's quicker, easier and cheaper than buying everything fresh for one person alone. But should you spend or skimp on these products? From trying loads of ready meals from all brands including supermarket own brand I see little to no difference in taste.
Verdict: Skimp
Well I hope that has given you some food for thought? If you have any other advice please comment below. I know everyone is different but this was based on three years of my own experience. I hope you enjoyed reading.
Laura x
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