One of the first and most important skills I developed at university was how to meal prep. Meal prepping is a great way of tracking what you're eating and how much money you're spending on food. I would say that it is an essential skill that any student should want to develop if they want to learn how to save a few pennies while at university. I've broken it down into my top six tips for how to meal prep at university!
Make A List of Meals You Know You Like
This seems like a fairly straight forward thing to do, but it is easy to forget. This is something I did this year and it has made planning meals a bit easier than last year. It means that when I plan what meals I need for that week before I go food shopping, I can see which ones I've had recently and make sure I have some variety in my meals. Also, if they are meals you know you like, then you are less likely to waste money on things you don't like. A lot of the meals I have are quite basic and they are ones I've tried at home before just to make sure I like them.
Try to Find Ones With Lots of Similar Ingredients
Again, this is something that can seem like common sense, but it is easy to forget. Having recipes with similar ingredients means that you are always likely to have those ingredients in. For example, it is a well known fact that students are partial to anything with pasta. So, I always have some form of pasta in my cupboard. Ingredients such as pasta are also very versatile so you can get multiple meals out of the same ingredient.
Keep on Top of What Your Essentials Are
If you know what your essential ingredients are, then a useful tip would be to make sure you always have them in the cupboard. As they are going to be something you need frequently, it is beneficial to you to always have them in stock. For example, when I know I am running low on pasta, I always pick up a new bag when I next go shopping. That way, I never run out of it. I also try to get a brand that has two for one when it comes to pasta as it's a useful ingredient to have in stock.
When Food Shopping, Make a List of Things You Only Need
This is probably my most important tip. When it comes to food shopping, make a list. By making a list, you are more likely to stick to it. This means that you will save money. I know that I have saved a lot of money by sticking to what I put on my shopping list. Occasionally I will buy things on my list because I have forgotten to put them on or they're an affordable price, but mostly I stick to my shopping list. It also means I only buy food that I know I am going to eat and not throw away. Throwing away food is one of my biggest pet peeves and it is something I am really against. By making a list, I always have the right amount of food in for me.
Be Prepared to Be Flexible When It Comes to Meals
It may seem like an odd tip, but sometimes the meal you've planned for the particular day isn't actually what you want to eat on that particular day. My belief is that as long as you eat the meals you've planned, it doesn't really matter. Being flexible is a really useful skill as it means you can eat a meal you would actually like to eat and still not waste food throughout the week.
Bulk Cooking
Bulk cooking is actually a really good way of making sure you've always got meals in as a student. It's not something I've done to the same scale this year as we have limited space, however even making two meals at once is still a good idea. Sometimes I make two meals at once, then when I have a late finish, I can heat up the spare half of the meal and not take a huge chunk out of my day to cook a meal. It's also a really financially beneficial thing to do as you save money in the long run.
