While the protein obsessed ‘gym-bros’ may have popularised the idea of meal prepping, it can actually be the easiest way to feed yourself hearty and healthy meals whilst on a uni budget.
Though it can be difficult with the unpredictability of uni life, finding time to cook and where to store it in the limited space of your (presumably dirty) shared kitchen, meal prep saves you plenty of time in the long-term. No more awkward kitchen encounters with flat mates, no more debating what to have for dinner and it helps stretch your budget further to afford those nights out. Also, getting to early lectures are a lot easier with some food already made for you to grab and go.
But it can still be daunting, so here are some tips to make your meal prep a lot easier, learnt from all my mistakes in first year!
Firstly, you don't have to cook at a certain time and on a certain day! Even a two-hour break between lectures where you're feeling motivated enough is the perfect time to meal prep, it doesn’t have to be at meal-times. Often, I will meal prep then pop a pizza in the oven to eat for convenience.
...putting it in the freezer felt easier, giving me a lot more flexibility with my meals as I still had the option to make something fresh.
Also, meal prep doesn’t have to go in the fridge! I felt when my food was in the fridge, it pressured me to eat it every day and it could often go a bit funky, leading to waste. So, putting it in the freezer felt easier, giving me a lot more flexibility with my meals as I still had the option to make something fresh.
I have two personal favourites for my meal prep: cheesy bean burritos and chilli con carne. My burritos are a slight copycat of the Taco Bell ones (my obsession from freshers). Totalling less than £1 a burrito with spicy rice, black beans and cheese, these are the perfect thing to keep in your freezer for a quick easy meal to microwave.
Chilli con carne is also a favourite of mine as there is so much flexibility with what you can make and serve it with. Using one 500g packet of mince can usually be stretched to more than six decent servings. But with a variety of beans and lentils, you can spread the portions further. My favourite way to serve it is with nachos and dip but you can add it to whatever base you’re craving!