CityLife

Fresh food for skint freshers

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE: Students can eat heathily without breaking the bank

ANYONE driving round Manchester’s motorways this weekend will have noticed the convoys of newly-arriving students and by the random assortment of goodies packed up in the back seat of their parents’ car.

You know, the budget Ikea duvet set, the obligatory toastie maker and a random lava lamp. But there’s one thing really guaranteed to give the game away – the lifetime’s supply of Super Noodles crammed against the window.

Ever since the stomach-churning culinary antics of The Young Ones, student cooking has been something of a laughing matter. But, as the average student debt for those teenagers kids starting a degree course this week is estimated at £23,000, that particular joke isn’t looking quite so funny any more.

According to some estimates, the average student has just £30 to spend on food, all week, leaving them literally on the breadline. However, it is possible to kit your kids out with plenty of gorgeous grub for the year ahead.

Not just at bargain basement prices, but healthy and nutritious too.

Marie Orford, NHS dietician for Manchester’s Community Nutrition Service said: “Starting as a student doesn’t have to mean falling into fast food habits.

“Lack of time, cash and experience in fending for themselves doesn’t mean eating read-prepared food loaded with salt and fat, and low on fibre and health.

"Enjoying tasty, good value, healthy food makes you feel great, avoids piling on the pounds, and helps your finances and future health.”

In fact, she adds, once your university-bound offspring have mastered some new budget cooking skills, they could even be teaching you a thing or two about credit crunch cooking.

We take a look at Marie’s top advice for student friendly fare which definitely won’t break the bank.

Value ranges
No student kitchen would be complete without shelves full of supermarket-own goodies. Marie says some of them can be good for your health as well as your pocket.

It’s just knowing what to look for.

“Supermarket economy or basic ranges often include good value versions of such staples as breakfast cereals, long grain rice, past and spaghetti,” she says.

“Some also offer fresh food like potatoes, simply packed, at a lower price than the standard versions, because they are irregular shapes or unwashed. Once prepared you may not notice any difference.”

Fill up on cheap fuel
Slow-burning carbs not only provide lots of energy for all that studying – they are cheap to buy and easy to prepare too. “Base your meals on starchy foods such as pasta, rice, other cereals, bread, potatoes and noodles,” says Marie.

“These inexpensive, filling foods should form the main part of each meal.”

Also, bulking out a meal – such as a curry – with extra veg, not only increases your nutrients but means you have to use less (more expensive) meat.

Browse for bargains
Don’t be shy – stock up on the days when supermarkets clear their shelves. “Since wholegrain breads cost more than a basic white loaf, look for special offers when they are sold off cheaply,” advises Marie.

“Also, stock up on things like tomatoes when they are at give-away prices, roast them and whizz them into a tasty pasta sauce. Look for special offers on fresh meat like lean mince, chicken and fish and freeze for over the coming weeks.”