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Cheap Meals for Students

Food is one of the biggest expenses for university students but you can reduce costs and still eat well. Here are a few hints for cost-cutting:

Know what your budget is, then plan ahead by deciding what you will eat and making a shopping list. Remember to put money aside for things you may run out of like milk and bread.
Have a well stocked pantry; you will always be able to find something you like and will be less tempted to buy fast food.
Stock up on essentials when they are on special... but buy in reasonable quantities. Buying 2 packets of chocolate biscuits when they are on special is a treat, but 20 packets is just too much.
When shopping, look around the shelves, the cheaper brands are often on the top and bottom shelves, out of direct view.
Don't bother buying things you don't like because they are cheap or 'good for you'. They probably won't be eaten, and you will have wasted your money
Have an assortment of quick and easy recipes on hand and build a collection of your favourites. Subscribing to a food magazine means you will always have new ideas. Cookbooks offer also offer many recipes, often with a theme (such as Thai food). See the recipes below for some cheap meal ideas.
Lots of cheap and easy dishes can be made from pasta, rice, potatoes and noodles. You can also use these staples to make meals stretch further. Soup is another tasty, cheap and filling dish.
Many fast food places and pubs have cheap and ‘2 for 1’ days. Also see which places near your campus offer a student discount.

Cheap, Fast and Easy Recipes for Uni Students

These recipes were invented or adapted and road-tested by uni students. They are cheap, easy, fast, filling and at least relatively nutritious. All the quantities used are adaptable, you can add more or less of any ingredient to suit your taste.

Chilli Con Carne - This recipe can be made in bulk and frozen. You can make it as hot or as mild as you like.
500g mince
1cup tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves minced garlic (the pre-crushed kind is fine)
2 tins red kidney beans, drained
2 large tins of diced tomatoes
Optional: 2 large chillies, chopped and Tabasco sauce to taste

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan and add the mince and onions. Brown the meat, ensuring that there are no clumps. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, kidney beans and tomatoes. Add the chilli and Tabasco now if you want them. Turn down the heat and simmer for up to half an hour, stirring occasionally. You can serve this with mashed potatoes if you want to make it stretch further. You can also add frozen veggies like peas and corn in the last 10 minutes.

Fast Potato Bake
6 medium potatoes
600ml light cream
1 onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic (the pre-crushed kind is fine)
5 rashers bacon
1 ½ cups grated cheese

Thinly slice the potatoes and bacon, and dice the onion. Place the garlic into the cream container and shake to mix. Place a layer of the sliced potatoes on the bottom of a medium-sized microwave and oven proof dish. Sprinkle some of the diced onions and bacon on top. Continue to layer until the potatoes, bacon and onion are used up. Pour the cream and garlic mixture over the potatoes. Microwave on high for 15 minutes, or until a knife runs easily through the potatoes to the bottom. While this is happening, pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees. When the potatoes are done, sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Super Easy Honey Soy Chicken Stir-Fry
1 chicken breast, sliced
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup honey
1 clove minced garlic (the pre-crushed kind is fine)
1 cup Fresh vegetables like capsicum, broccoli, snow peas and carrots, chopped
Small packet of noodles – hokkien noodles or if money is tight, heat up a packet of 2-minute noodles
Optional: Ginger (fresh is much better)

Mix soy sauce, honey and garlic (and a little ginger if you like it). Put into a small freezer bag with the chicken and leave to marinate for a few hours in the fridge. Put the chicken and marinade into a hot frying pan or wok and cook the chicken. Add the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Add the noodles and cook until they are heated through (stir as little as possible).

Creamy Mushroom Pasta
250g of Pasta (Penne or small spirals work well)
10 button mushrooms, sliced
½ onion, diced
3 rashers of bacon, sliced
300ml Light Cream
2 cloves minced garlic (the pre-crushed kind is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of grated cheese

Start cooking the pasta. Fry the bacon and add the onions and mushrooms. When the onion is cooked, add the cream, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat until the mixture simmers then mix with the drained pasta. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

Pumpkin Soup
½ Japanese (or 1 butternut) pumpkin, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic (the pre-crushed kind is fine)
Spoonful of butter
4 cups Chicken stock (this can vary according to the size of the pumpkin)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
Optional: sour cream and chopped fresh parsley

Fry the onions with the garlic in the butter in the bottom of the stockpot. When the onions are clear, add the stock, pumpkin, bay leaves and thyme. Stir well, bring to the boil and cover. Cook until the pumpkin is soft (usually 20-30 minutes) and take off the heat. Remove the bay leaves. Use a hand-held blender to make into a smooth paste. If you want to be fancy, serve with sour cream and sprinkle the parsley on top.

Melba toast goes well with this. Mix some soft butter or margarine with a little crushed garlic, spread it on sliced bread, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and grill.

Healthy Food Guide
Food & Drink Magazine
from iSUBSCRIBE

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from iSUBSCRIBE

Super Food Ideas
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from iSUBSCRIBE

Italianicious
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from iSUBSCRIBE

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Cheap Meals for Students

Cheap, Fast and Easy Recipes for Uni Students