Eating Healthy on a Bare Budget

A Dietary Guide for Post-Secondary Students

Everyone knows why university students eat so much Kraft Dinner and frozen pizza.  It’s cheap and quick! But it’s important to keep those ever-working brain cells fueled with nutritious vitamins.  You’ll feel better, have more energy for late night study sessions, improve your memory and your mood. Here’s some budget minded money saving food ideas that will keep you from making McDonalds and Michelina’s your food staples.

• Cook in large quantities and freeze portions whenever possible. Stock up on some dollar store freezer bags. You can freeze individual portions or large portions that can be used at a later time.
• Chicken thighs and legs are cheap and easy to bake in the oven. Slow cookers are awesome, especially for cheaper cuts of meat.  Pay attention to the weekly sales flyers or go to the grocery stores on Sundays, when they usually reduce the price of some meats by 30%.
• Use frozen vegetables in soups and stews.  Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables and freeze on cookie sheets. Local fruit vendors or Asian supermarkets usually have great deals compared to larger grocery chains. Beet and carrot tops and broccoli stalks are all edible and nourishing.
• Rethink what you toss away. Bones, onion skins and trims as well as celery and carrot can be used to make nourishing soup or stock which can be frozen in recycled yogurt containers and used at a later date.
• Buy large bricks of cheese on sale. Again, pay attention to weekly flyers.  Even Shoppers Drug Mart can have great deals on cheese. (less than 5 bucks) Grate it and freeze it.
• Use storage-friendly items such as onions, cabbage and carrots.  These are affordable and nutrient-dense, and store easily. If you have the produce for a while, check through the bag to make sure some of the produce hasn’t gone bad. 

• Choose dense proteins.  Eggs and beans are powerful, nutritious proteins. Learn how to soak and cook dry beans. They are even less expensive and contain less sodium than canned ones.
• Oatmeal and peanut butter are cheap and filling, but don’t be tempted by sugar-filled oatmeal packets. The price is double and what you’re paying for is sugar.
• Watch your food inventory – and use everything. Buy smaller amounts from bulk stores, especially dry goods. Don’t keep money tied up in inventory.

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With a little planning and organizing, not only will your meals be more nutritious than sodium packed, pre-made foods, but they’ll be easier on your wallet and your tight schedule. Stock up on dollar store freezer bags, grab a partner if you can, and start cooking!