Balancing your Diet

When you first move out it can be difficult to maintain a balanced diet. You don't have the constant "eat your vegetables" argument, and more importantly you don't have meals on the table.
Here are some suggestions for eating a balanced diet on a budget... 

Cook outside the box

 British meals are based on a one meat, two veg idea, however there are lots of different diets out there. I have tried a variety of diets and recipes inspired by lifestyle youtubers and documentaries.

     
    

One of the most expensive parts of my weekly shop, apart from alcohol, is meat! You'd be surprised how much money you can save by replacing meat with different ingredients.
  • Pulses (lentils, beans) instead of mince.
  • Chickpeas or potato substitutes for chicken, especially in curries.
  • Add extra vegetables to dishes like stir-fry and fajitas (I'd recommend mushrooms).
Adapting and inventing new recipes keeps cooking interesting. Don't be afraid of trying vegan or vegetarian meals. They can be just as nutritious and tasty for half the price!

 Top tip: Invest in a few varied cookbooks for inspiration. 



Snacking 

When you're a busy student, it can be easy to snack instead of cooking. The best way to avoid overspending on snacking is: 

 1. Be prepared - Make your meals in advance to take with you.

 2. Drink more - sometimes your body is just craving some hydration.

Top tip: Add lemon slices to water, keeps you fuller for longer. 

 3. Eat foods which release their energy slowly - bananas, porridge & nuts.

 Top tip: Eat a well-balanced breakfast every morning to set you up for the day.

But let's face it, it's so hard to avoid snacking! Here are some of my favourite healthy alternatives: 



Nice Cream - blended frozen banana. 
You can add anything to this delicious vegan ice cream - cocoa, peanut butter, berries... 



Fruit - satisfies your sugar craving, guilt free.




 Hummus - the ultimate savoury snack, that also introduces veggies.  



Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Student Shopping

Image
Hi Everyone, Welcome to my first blog post, hopefully many of you will be able to relate to the pressures of a student budget, but if not, I'm sure you can take away some useful cooking tips. I love eating and cooking, however making healthy, tasty meals comes at a cost! Since starting University, I have learnt to adapt my eating and shopping to keep within my student budget. Here are my first 2 tips for good food on a budget... 1. Shop Smart   O ne of the first harsh realities I discovered as a student was I couldn't afford my families weekly Sainsbury's shop. Students aren’t made of money, so my first advice is to locate your nearest cheaper supermarkets, like Aldi and Lidl. They offer non-branded products, for a fraction of the prices at bigger supermarkets.  At first, I was  sceptical about the quality and taste of some of the alternatives, being somewhat of a food snob, but I'm glad to say I have been pleasantly surprised! Another grea
Read more

Places to eat in Glasgow

Image
Glasgow is a fab student city, there are so many places to eat that don't break the bank! Here are some of my favourite restaurants to go on a budget... 1. Mozza A new pizza restaurant (run by the Toni Macaroni Group, so you know its gonna be good) recently opened on Renfield Street. Every Pizza is £5 before 5 o'clock! M y friends & I tried  Mozza recently, we highly recommend it! The service was fast, the atmosphere was relaxed and seemed like it would be lively at night (we went around 3pm) and most importantly the pizza was DELICOUS! They have a wide selection of toppings, so there is something for everyone, as well as many drinks. 2. BarBurrito  BarBurrito is one of my favourite places in Glasgow for Mexican food. They have many central locations (Queen St, Hope St & Gordon St) where you can pick up a yummy burrito, taco or margarita, to sit in or takeaway at a reasonable price.  Bar Burrito offer 20% s
Read more

In a hurry?

Image
One of the hardest things about cooking at Uni is having the time! If you are a busy student, like me, here are some speedy recipes and tips on a budget... 1. Breakfast It can be easy to skip breakfast or grab something small, but don't scrimp on the most important meal of the day! My favourite breakfast to make, in advance, are overnight oats. These tasty oats are easy to prepare, and ready to eat in the morning. Base ingredients: rolled oats milk (cow's, almond, soya - enough to cover the oats) mashed banana honey You can portion it how you want (I usually make enough for 3 mornings). Then add any other flavours, I suggest: Cinnamon, blueberries, grated apple & ginger Strawberries & coconut milk Peanut butter & raspberries Top tip: buy frozen fruit - cheaper & lasts longer 2. Lunch Soup is always my go to quick lunch - cheap and easy to transport. You don't need many ingredients to make a tasty so
Read more