7 Easy, Nutritious & Cheap Meals to Cook at Uni

Heading to university this year? Want to make some delicious and nutritious meals on a budget? Will this be your first time in a kitchen solo with no idea how to cook? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with these seven easy, nutritious & cheap meals to keep you going throughout freshers!

We know how important it is to get your nutrients in (trust us, it will make that freshers week exhaustion just a bit more bearable) so all these meals are super healthy. We also know how most of your money will go on drinks, freshers tickets/events and socials, so having affordable go-to meals is an absolute must!

Sausage, Spinach & Tomato Pasta

(Can be made vegan!)

Ingredients:

• 400g of pasta

• 1 Pack of Richmond Sausages (meat-free Richmond Sausages for vegan)

• 150g of cherry tomatoes chopped up

• 1 tin of plum tomatoes

• 3 garlic cloves sliced up

• 1 red chill sliced up / 1tsp chilli powder

• 1-2tsp mixed herbs

• 150g of spinach

• 3tsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper

• Optional:

• 15g fresh basil leaves

• Grated cheese (vegan cheese)

• Tomato puree

• Nutritional yeast

Recipe:

Step 1: Add boiling water to 400g of pasta in a cooking pot on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt. Cook for 10-12 minutes (depending on pasta, check packaging). Drain and set aside when cooked.

Step 2: While pasta is cooking, add olive oil to another frying pan on medium hear. Chop up sausages into chunks and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook for 2 further minutes.

Step 3: Add chopped cherry tomatoes, 1 sliced chill/1tsp chilli powder and 1-2tsp of mixed herbs. Add tin of plum tomatoes. Salt & pepper. (OPTIONAL: add squeeze of tomato puree). Put the lid on and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. The tomatoes will break up in the sauce.

Step 4: Once tomatoes have broken up in the sauce, taste to ensure you’re happy with seasoning. Take off the heat and add 150g of spinach to sauce and stir. (OPTIONAL: add 15g of fresh basil leaves and 3tsp of nutritional yeast).

Step 5: Layer the sauce on top of pasta in the bowel. (OPTIONAL: add grated cheese ontop of the sauce).

Chicken BBQ Faijitas

(Can be made vegan!)

Ingredients:

• 1 fajita making kit (available at all supermarkets), contains 8 tortillas, salsa sauce, bbq seasoning

• 500g boneless chicken/500g quorn chicken pieces (vegan)

• 1 onion

• 2-3 bell pepper

• Small handful of fresh coriander

• Salt & pepper

• 2tsp coriander

• 2tsp paprika

• 2tsp garlic powder

• Lettuce strips

Optional:

• 100g of grated cheese (can be vegan cheese)

• Guacamole, sour cream, salsa tubs

Recipe:

Step 1: Add 1-2tsps of olive oil to a pan. Chop up 500g of boneless chicken. Cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through (10-15mins). Set aside.

Step 2: Add 1-2tsps of olive oil to a pan. Finely chop half an onion and fry on medium heat. Chop 2-3 bell peppers into strips and fry.

Step 3: After 5 mins of frying onions and pepper, add cooked chicken pieces. Continue to cook on medium heat and stir regularly. Add salsa sauce and BBQ seasoning from fajita kit. Add salt & pepper. Add 2tsp coriander, 2tsp paprika, 2tsp garlic powder. Fry it all in the salsa sauce.

Finally, add the remaining half of onion and fry in fajita mix for 1 minute.

Step 4: Once cooked, set aside. Heat up tortillas in microwave. Wash and chop up coriander. Add to fajita mix. Cut lettuce into strips.

Step 5: Build fajita! Add fajita mix to warm tortilla, top with lettuce (OPTIONAL: add sauce of your choice and cheese). Roll and enjoy!

Naan Bread Pizzas

(Can be made vegan!)

Ingredients:

• 1 naan bread

• 1-2tsp olive oil

• 3 tsp of tomato puree

• ⅓ pack of mozzarella cheese (can be vegan cheese)

• 150g of cherry tomatoes chopped up

• Handful of chopped up black olives

• 1 sprinkle of oregano

• Optional:

• Strips of chicken

• 100g of chopped up mushrooms

Recipe:

Step 1: Brush naan bread with 1-2tsp of olive oil. Spread 3tsps of tomato puree on top.

Step 2: Slice up mozzarella cheese (or vegan cheese). Arrange ontop of naan bread. Sprinkle oregano over top.

OPTIONAL: Add stips of pre-cooked chicken and chopped mushrooms

Step 3: Pre-heat oven to around 180°. Cook on medium grill until cheese has melted and naan is crispy. Serve up and enjoy!

(Note, this recipe can utilise a whole range of toppings, experiment and find your favourite!)

Homemade Burgers

(Can be made vegan!)

Ingredients:

• Beef, chicken or quorn burger patty

• 1 onion

• 3 garlic cloves thinly slices

• 1-2 tsp olive or vegetable oil

• Salt & pepper

• Burger buns

• Cheese slices (can be vegan cheese)

• Lettuce strips

• Optional:

• 1 tbsp Soy sauce

• Sauce (i.e tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, chilli sauce etc.)

Recipe:

Step 1: Cook burger patty as per instructions. If no instructions are available, we recommend popping them in the oven for 5-10 mins turning regularly.

Step 2: Chop onion and garlic and heat in pan on medium heat with 1-2tsps of oil. Fry for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Once patty is cooked as per instructions in oven, add patty to pan with onions and garlic. Season further with salt & pepper. (OPTIONAL: add 1tbsp of soy sauce). Cook for further 5-8 minutes flipping the patty regularly.

Step 4: Add cheese slice to top of burger patty in pan. Allow to melt slightly.

Step 5. Place burger patty with cheese and onions in burger bun. Add lettuce strips and sauce of your choice. Serve up with a side of potato wedges or chips which can be made in an oven while making your burger.

(Note: this recipe can be seasoned with lots of different seasonings! Like a herby taste? Try oregano or thyme! Like it hot? Try 1tsp of chilli powder or paprika! Like fresh tomatoes in a burger? Fry up some pan fried tomatoes!).

Vegetable Omelette

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs

• 2tbsp oil

• ½ finely chopped carrots

• 4-5 chopped bean sprouts

• ½ finely chopped onion

• 1tsp thyme

• 1tsp garlic powder

• Salt & pepper

• Optional:

• Grated cheese

Recipe:

Step 1: Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk up. Add pinch of salt & pepper, 1tsp thyme and 1tsp of garlic powder. Add finely chopped onion. (note, a fork can be used to whisk).

Step 2: Finely chop carrots and green beans. Steam for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Add steamed carrots and green beans to egg mixture and stir. Head up a frying pan on medium heat with 2tbsp of oil. Ensure oil is spread across the pan.

Step 4: Add egg mixture with all the veggies and seasoning to hot frying pan. Ensure it spreads out evenly across the pan.

Step 5: Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then flip and cook underside for around 2 minutes.

Creamy Chicken & Veg

Ingredients:

• 500g of boneless chicken

• Cooking cream

• Mustard

• Salt & pepper

• Mixed herbs

• 1-2tsp Olive oil

• 1 courgette

Recipe:

Step 1: Rinse veggies and cut up. Place in pan in boiling water for about 5-10 mins (can also be steamed).

Step 2: Chop up 500g of boneless chicken. Place in a pan with 1-2tsps olive oil and pinch of salt & pepper. Cook until golden (around 10 mins). Add mixed herbs.

Step 3: Place cooking cream in a bowel, enough to cover the chicken. Add mustard and salt. Heat up in the same pan as the chicken for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Combine chicken mix with the veggies. Serve up & enjoy!

Vegan Swede, Tomato and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot

• ½ swede

• ½ onion

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

• 1-2 tsp of oil

• 3tsp mixed herbs

• 1-2 tsp chilli powder (optional)

• Salt & pepper (Note: can be made in bulk using more greater quantities of the ingredients and stored in the freezer for a rainy day!)

• Optional: try a chopped up apple. Remove the skin. We think you’ll be surprised!

Recipe:

Step 1: Chop up carrots, swede and onions. Place onion in a saucepan with 1-2tsp of oil. Fry on medium heat until onion starts to brown.

Step 2: Add swede and carrots to pan with onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Step 3: Add tin of chopped tomatoes. Add 3tsp of mixed herbs (and chilli powder if you wish). Top with water to ensuring all contents of pan are covered.

Step 4: Cover and allow to simmer for 20 on medium heat for 20 minutes to an hour. For more mushy soup, simmer for longer. Check regularly. Water can be added if soup needs to be thinned.

Step 5: Serve up in soup bowl. We recommend having this meal with some bread & butter too!