carbs, carbs and more carbs!

Try not to eat too many ready meals as on top of all the drinking you may pile on the pounds!

You will be buying on a budget. Some easy ideas are: chilli con carne, spaghetti bolognaise, fish finger butties, stir-fry, macaroni cheese, bangers and mash, bacon/tuna and tomato pasta, tuna and butterbean in cheese sauce with mash potato and veg, broccoli/cauliflower cheese, curry in a jar…

Or, for the more adventurous: Thai green/red curry, roast vegetable risotto, Dahl (lentil curry)…

Low-fat meals: try frozen prawns and Quorn mince as an alternative to meat [Quorn mince has hardly any fat and is only £2/3 a pack] 

Snacks: non-branded biscuits and crisps generally taste just as nice as branded

Tip: for the weight conscious Cadbury’s fingers only have 25 calories each - so you can have around 4 for every biscuit

Try to vary your meals as you will get bored of having the same meals every week.

 

For early lectures try and have a filling breakfast to keep you full and DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST or you won’t concentrate as well through lack of energy and hunger pangs. I’d recommend Ready Brek, porridge or Weetabix.

On nights out make sure you have a filling tea so you can line your stomach before the alcohol hits it.

Supermarket Tips!

·         Check out the reduced section for good deals

·         Ask the butcher when they are going to put the meat in the reduced section as you can get amazing deals

·         Buy frozen veg it is just as nice as fresh and 1/3 of the price

·         Frozen prawns and Quorn mince/pieces are a cheap alternative to meat

·         Try to but supermarket’s cheap options or their own brand products as they are a lot cheaper

·         Aldi is good for frozen foods

·         Sainsbury’s Basics/ Tesco Value/ Asda Smart Price are just as good as name brand foods

·         Poundland is perfect for cheaper name brand crisps at £1 a bag of 6/7 packets you’re saving a third!

·         The International Food Supermarket on Fitzwilliam Street is good for cheap eggs (30 for £2) and cheap in-season veg

·         Go to the Sheffield Market (by KFC and Primark) for meat and veg if you can it is A LOT cheaper than any supermarket

·         Herron Foods (by KFC and Wilkos) is also good for cheap name brand foods like jars of curry etc.

·         Pick up recipe cards in all supermarkets (Waitrose & Sainsbury’s especially) as they have cheap, easy and delicious dishes for you to try.

Shopping online is a good way of saving money, and the hassle of carrying all the bags home, as you aren’t tempted on deals and unnecessary items like when walking round a store. Asda have an especially good deal as if you spend over £25 you get a free delivery. With other supermarkets you have the advantage of being a student and being available at the ‘odd times’ when others are at work, which means getting your food delivered either free or at a lower cost.

Good Cookbooks:

     1.       Jamie Oliver’s “Jamie’s Ministry of Food”
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jamies-Ministry-Food-Anyone-Learn/dp/0718148622/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314235564&sr=8-1

2.       The Student Cookbook: Great Grub For The Hungry & The Broke
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Student-Cookbook-Great-Hungry-Cookery/dp/1845978846/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314235623&sr=1-2
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/aug/20/clearing-students-food-eating

3.       The Really Useful Ultimate Cookbook
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Really-Useful-Ultimate-Student-Cookbook/dp/174196024X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314235683&sr=1-3

4.       Nigel Slater’s “Real Fast Food: 350 Recipes Ready-to-Eat in 30 Minutes”
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Fast-Food-Ready---Eat/dp/0140469494/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314235787&sr=8-2