5 Hacks For Student Cooking

I’m here to give you some big sister advice before you get start cooking meals at uni for the first time.

Don’t panic, I’ve posted a whole series of student-friendly recipes and ideas to help you. Whether you need easy uni meals, essential kitchen equipment or some student cookbook recommendations – I’m here to help you.

Let’s talk about some helpful hacks for student cooking that will really help you get-ahead:

Hacks For COOKING IN A Student Kitchen

Use Frozen Veg

You’re going to be busy and it’s important to cram some nutrition in to keep you going. Frozen veg is not only convenient, but it’s usually just as nutritious as buying fresh. For student cooking, it’s ideal. And – take it from someone who knows – we all forget about the veg in our fridge from time to time, so not only will this save you time, it will also save you cleaning mould out of your fridge in 2 weeks time…

Buy Freezer Bags

The perfect way to save and store leftovers, especially in small student kitchens. Buy them in a bulk pack when you do your pre-uni shop at IKEA (it's somewhat of a rite of passage). Fill them up with sauces, stews or soups and lay them flat in sheets. This will help you save space in the freezer.

Buy Bone-In Chicken

Learning how to de-bone a chicken thigh, or even joint a whole chicken, is going to save you so much money in the long run. It’s much easier than it looks, too! When you know what to do with bone-in chicken cuts, you have the freedom to buy the cheapest packs possible and turn them into delicious dinners.

Do A Weekly Shop

Make a list and go to the big supermarket once a week. Your local Co Op or campus shop are useful for little treats or forgotten toiletries, but this is the most cost-effective way to get your food. If you can, carshare with your flatmates or get everyone to chip in for a home delivery for even more time saving!

Batch Cook

Make XL portions of your favourites – like spaghetti Bolognese or chilli con carne – and use the rest at a later date. If you want to spread it over a few meals in the same week, storing it in an airtight Tupperware in the fridge will be fine. If you want to use it further down the line, whip out those freezer bags and pop it in. Not only will this help stretch your budget, it will also help save you cooking time on those busy nights when you’ve been to lectures/the pub/a society event.

My number one tip for student cooking?

Learn to cook what you love.

Don’t bother wasting time with fancy recipes or weird ingredients if you don’t like them. Learn how to make your favourites, perfect them and rotate them. As your confidence grows, so will your repertoire!

Feel free to pop me a message if you need help with anything student cooking related.

Happy Cooking X