You can still eat healthily even when you’re on a serious budget.
Students are notoriously cash-poor but even if you don’t have a big budget for student food you don’t have to compromise on nutrients or on taste. There are plenty of options for tasty, healthy food that will feed your brain and boost concentration, no matter what your budget.
Tinned fish
Tinned fish, such as sardines or salmon, is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential building blocks for learning and memory for humans. Tins of fish are also a very economical item for your supermarket shop and often subject to offers, such as two for one. Tinned fish has lots of potential too – add to potato and roll in breadcrumbs and egg before frying to make croquettes, for example, or make a simple, authentically Italian pasta sauce with sardines, tomato puree, chili and lemon juice.
Vegetable soup
Soup is the student’s best friend because you can make it from just about anything you have in the cupboard and it’s incredibly cheap, simple and fast. Green vegetables are especially good if you’re studying – make broccoli soup to boost your levels of vitamin K and choline, which help to keep memory sharp. Add some almond milk and vegetable stock for a delicious vegan version or blue cheese for a classic broccoli and stilton soup.
Baked eggs
Egg yolks are also rich in choline, which is not only useful in brain development but also helps to keep energy levels up. You can scramble, fry or poach your eggs depending on your tastes and this cost effective ingredient will barely make a dent in your budget. If you’re looking to vary the way you eat your eggs then opt for baked eggs with a tin of tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili and coriander. You’re not only getting goodness from this dish but it tastes fantastic too and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Wholegrain pasta
Pasta is a staple food for students because it’s filling and it’s cheap. However, if you also want to increase the positive impact of what you’re eating on the body then pay a little more for a bag of wholegrain pasta instead. Wholegrains with a low-GI release glucose slowly into your bloodstream after you eat them, which means that you’re getting a steady stream of energy that will help to boost concentration and focus. Plus, pasta is incredibly versatile, whether you like it with a dollop of pesto, a fresh tomato sauce or just some olive oil, black pepper and grated cheese.
Walnuts
If you’re looking for the perfect student snack to help keep your energy levels up when you’re studying then put aside the biscuits and chocolate and grab a bag of walnuts instead. Buy your nuts in bulk and they will cost you less per handful than the average chocolate bar. Plus, walnuts have an impressive range of benefits for anyone currently learning – one piece of research found that eating walnuts improved reaction time, learning, and memory recall.
So there you have it – some great, inexpensive foods ideas to keep your body fit, your brain active and your bank balance healthy as suggested to us by the personal finance experts at Solution Loans. Just goes to show that it’s not all about cost as you can still eat well on a small budget.
