4 top tips for eating healthy on a student budget

Healthy eating on a student budget often feels like the impossible. Sometimes it seems like a miracle just to produce some sort of meal of an evening, so to try and think about making those meals healthy can be mind boggling. This is particularly difficult when healthy foods seem to be so ridiculously expensive these days. So expensive in fact that many of us simply give into the allure of frozen meals, pizza, noodles and other unhealthy budget friendly foods.

So here at The Griffith Collective we have decided to put together a list of simple ways to eat healthy and nutritious meals on a budget.

Prioritise your spending

If your finding that each week the majority of your pay cheque goes to entertainment and fast foods, it might be time to reprioritise your budget. In order to purchase healthy foods, you have to ensure that you have put aside enough in your budget for a quality grocery shop. Sometimes that means you may need to spend less money on unnecessary items and put it towards fresh ingredients that will fuel your body.

BYO food to uni

Although buying a delicious salad, burger or burrito at uni is incredibly tempting, your wallet will thank you if you bring your own lunch to uni. By bringing your own lunch you have control over the ingredients that you are putting into your mouth. You can also be sure that you won’t crash with afternoon cravings by bringing healthy, easy to eat snacks such as carrots sticks and hummus or trail mix to keep you sustained throughout the day.

Write a list

Probably the best tip for eating healthy on a student budget is to plan ahead. Planning your grocery shop is the greatest thing you’ll ever do (honestly). Check out who has what on special and create meals based on those specials. If you’re lucky and live near a shopping centre don’t be afraid to visit multiple stores to score some bargains. This way you’ll be able to buy much more for less, you won’t forget anything and most importantly you won’t over shop and buy too many unhealthy snacks like chips, chocolate and lollies.

Cook up a feast

One of the main reasons that uni students spend so much on food is that we just don’t have time to cook every night. Luckily, this is an issue that can easily be solved. During the planning stage of your next grocery shop, look for a recipe that can be made in bulk, such as stir-fry or pasta. These can then be separated into bowls or containers, ready to be reheated for a quick, cheap and healthy lunch or dinner during the week. Plus, if you ever have leftovers that you won’t use that week, freeze them as a ready to go frozen meal that you can grab out at any time in the future.

Try these tips out and let us know how you go!

Also, stay tuned for our next blog to find out how to keep eating healthy even when you’re stressed out about assessments and exams.

Do you have any pro tips for eating healthy foods on a student budget?

Thanks for reading and all the best! Hayley