Here are a few cooking basics to help you have a better diet and some spare change (trust me, as much as you think its good to eat chicken nuggets for a year – you will feel dreadful!).
5 basic cooking tips
Use spices
Don’t be afraid of 9p beans, 8p curry sauce, etc. they may not be the best, but spices are your friend, think salt, pepper, oregano & chilli powder (my favourite is 32p Bolognese sauce, throw in oregano, salt, pepper and a bit of garlic salt & it increases the flavour tenfold!)Make a list of store cupboard essentials.
A lot of recipes use the same base ingredients, it makes it easier to throw meals together when you cannot be bothered. Check out ourstudent cupboard essentials article for more ideas.Shop in groups
Chances are you have friends, there are alot of offers, eg. BOGOF, 2 for £x. Take advantage of it! Also, take a look at how to save money on food.Make cooking fun
Cook in groups, get hands on (with the food!!) why not hold your own come dine with me style evenings? On a minimal budget!Plan meals
Try as best you can to plan meals, make pack ups, and consider your timetables, plans and when you think you will be hungover.
Just enjoy it, the sooner you get the grasp that you have to fend for yourself, the more enjoyable it will be. If you have the time, visit markets for fresh ingredients, go to different supermarkets and pay in cash!(if you set yourself a budget and carry cash, you have less chance of going over – you don’t want to be embarrassed at the till).
It’s simple really, take the time to consider what you are buying, if you have a sweet tooth don’t buy something you will demolish in one go, find something you can snack on over a few days, say fruit drops rather than a bar of chocolate (or even bake your own cakes – that’s what I have taken too!)
Always ask: what can this go with? If nothing, do you need it? When will you eat it? Will it keep?
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