For some of you, this time of year means facing the reality of a student budget and no one to cook for you. Apartment style residences, such as Woodsworth Residence, don’t offer meal plans for their students. Students who have chosen to move out and live by themselves face the same problem. Budgeting for food, especially when you live downtown, is hard and more often than not you end up spending more than you planned due to unforeseen circumstances (ie. your sudden craving for Sun Chips). I’ve been living by myself for the past two years, and will be starting my third. There are tricks I’ve picked up, things I’ve learned to look out for and websites I’ve come across that might be useful for all you student foodies out there.

1. Always have the basics stocked up.

Things such as oil, rice, pasta, dry seasonings and condiments last a long time and are cheaper if you buy them in larger sizes. They are also typical staples in your diet, and can be used in many different dishes, many different ways. If you’re a meat eater, you can stock up on meat too! Meat bought at the butcher shop or sold in packages can be cut and sectioned off by portion in plastic wrap and put into the freezer. Ground meat is especially versatile and easy to cook. Frozen vegetables are also very useful to have on hand.

Things to stock up on:

• A carb, like pasta or rice
• Olive oil, cooking oil
• Salt, pepper, dried herbs, sugar, other seasonings
• Canned goods, like canned fish
• Ground meat and frozen vegetables

2. Keep it simple.

Having watched The Food Network religiously while at my parent’s house for the summer, I can safely say that no matter how complex the dish may seem, the key is to keep it simple. You’d be amazed at the variety of things you can come up with when you have two or three ingredients.

For example, I had lemons and chicken breast in my fridge one day. I decided to make pan-fried chicken breast with lemon zest as the main flavor. Season the chicken with a bit of salt, pepper and dried herbs like basil. Then, quickly sauté some chopped garlic and lemon in olive oil. Add the chicken and cover. Flip. Make sure it’s cooked and then plate. For a bit of zing, squeeze some lemon juice on it. Serve with salad, rice or pasta. Voila, you’re done!

Gourmet salads are even easier. If you’ve got fruits or vegetables that are almost nearing their end, and lots of leafy greens, just toss them into a bowl. To make a homemade dressing mix olive oil, mustard and something acidic together and you have a base for delicious vinaigrette. Season to taste and you are set.

Just… don’t make it too simple.

3. Portion control.

Cooking for one person is hard. It’s cheaper to buy things bulk, but you may not be able to finish it all. Some of you may be like me and will be tempted to finish it as fast as you can, thus overeating. Others might end up with good food going bad after only being used once. Either outcome isn’t something you want. Portioning is very important.

I’ve already mentioned that you can section meat in the freezer. You can do the same thing with already cooked food. Save the time, cook everything at once, and pack it up in containers to freeze. It’s a tried and true trick, and is especially useful when exams and big assignments are coming up.

 

That’s all I’ve got for now. Of course, the most important thing about food is to eat healthy. There will be times where no name mac and cheese is on sale for 50 cents a box (I kid you not) and you will be tempted to buy it. Even if the boxes come alive and start dancing, don’t. Chances are, you can make your own mac and cheese that taste better with as much money per meal. Buy fresh. Look for products with less sodium and preservatives and more natural ingredients. If you snack, snack on fruits, nuts and vegetables. Nothing new, right?

Here are a few websites that are useful if you’re running out of ideas:

• Working Class Foodies
• Baked Bree
• $5 Dinners
• Cheap Eats
• Just a directory with 100 cooking blogs for students

Many of these things are common sense, but when you’ve got your head in the books (or other places *ahem*) you might forget. Just keep a cool head in the grocery store and at the cutting board, and you’ll have a great time in the kitchen. Here’s to a healthy and delicious year!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 11th, 2011 at 12:30 pm and is filed under Food & Drink, Survival Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.