Student Cooking 101: Cheap, Easy Meals for University Life

University budgets are tight, kitchens are shared, and time is limited. But eating nothing but pot noodles isn't the answer. Here's how to eat well on a student budget.

The Student Storecupboard

Stock these staples and you can always make a meal:

• Rice and pasta
• Tinned tomatoes and beans
• Eggs
• Frozen vegetables
• Soy sauce and olive oil
• Garlic and onions
• Stock cubes
• Dried herbs and spices

10 Student-Budget Recipes

1. Egg Fried Rice (£0.80)

Leftover rice, 2 eggs, frozen peas, soy sauce. Ready in 10 minutes.

2. Pasta Aglio e Olio (£0.60)

Pasta, garlic, olive oil, chilli flakes. Italian simplicity.

3. Bean Chilli (£1.20)

Tinned beans, tinned tomatoes, onion, spices. Serve over rice.

4. Omelette (£0.70)

3 eggs, whatever vegetables or cheese you have. Ready in 5 minutes.

5. Tuna Pasta Bake (£1.50)

Pasta, tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes, cheese on top. Feeds multiple.

6. Vegetable Stir-Fry (£1.00)

Frozen stir-fry veg, soy sauce, serve with rice or noodles.

7. Jacket Potato (£0.80)

Microwave for speed, oven for crispy skin. Top with beans and cheese.

8. Tomato Soup (£0.70)

Tinned tomatoes, onion, stock cube, blend. Serve with toast.

9. Quesadillas (£1.00)

Tortillas, cheese, whatever fillings you have. Pan-fry until crispy.

10. Rice and Beans (£0.60)

Cooked rice, tinned black beans, lime, coriander if you have it.

Money-Saving Tips

• Shop at Aldi or Lidl for basics
• Buy reduced items near closing time
• Frozen vegetables are cheaper and don't go off
• Cook in batches and freeze portions
• Share cooking duties (and costs) with flatmates
• Avoid ready meals—they cost more per portion

Shared Kitchen Survival

• Label everything with your name
• Invest in a good container set
• Clean as you cook
• Keep a mini spice collection in your room
• Consider a small slow cooker—set it and forget it

Weekly Budget: £20

It's absolutely possible to eat well on £20 per week if you plan, avoid waste, and cook from scratch. That's less than a takeaway for an entire week's food.

Struggling to use up ingredients before they go bad? Fridgr tracks expiry dates and suggests recipes to reduce waste.