As exam season hits, cooking can become one of those things you know you should do but do not have the energy for after a long day in the library.
It becomes so easy to fall into a routine of grabbing something easy and quick to eat, even when this doesn’t necessarily fuel you properly.
You need meals that are cheap, quick and give you the energy needed for exam season!
Here are four meals ideas I can rely on in exam season that fit within my student budget.
Budget friendly pasta ideas
Pasta meals are definitely one of the low effort meals you can make and is quite often the cheapest. It is easy for exam season as you can create a whole pasta dish with lots of the ingredients you may already have in.
Personally, I love to pack my pasta dishes with loads of vegetables giving extra flavour.
Whilst vegetables in the supermarkets near the student areas can sometimes come with a higher cost, I always try to do my fruit and veg shop in Grainger market. Not only are you supporting local businesses, but most of the time the products are fresher, and you get more for your money!
My favourite at the minute, which is quick and easy, is to buy all sorts of veg at the market, roast it in the oven and then take some red pesto and stir both of these into my pasta. It is a perfect meal that I can bulk cook, having a few days in a row, saving cooking for those nights!
However, if you’re not a fan of a store bought sauce, chopped tomatoes some garlic, salt, pepper and spinach also make for a lovely pasta sauce.
Quick rice dishes
Rice meals are another basic student essential.
Again, just like pasta these dishes can be very versatile, and you can add anything you want in.
Even if you have leftover rice from another meal it can make another quick meal. I love a stir fried rice, in this you can pop in any frozen vegetables, like peas, carrots, corn and then add in some eggs and soy sauce. If I have any in too, I would also add in some chicken for extra protein.
I often find when I bulk my meals up with vegetables, I do not use as much meat, meaning I can make my money go further as I can split the meat between different meals.
This is another meal that I can have one or two extra portions in the fridge for the next few days.
Stir fry
Another of my go-to meals would be a stir-fry, my favourite being a hoisin vegetable one.
Stir-fries are possibly one of the quickest and easiest meals to make, tasting delicious and packed with goodness making you feel like you’ve eaten a decent meal.
Quite often I also find that many supermarkets have a stir-fry deal on, giving you the sauce, noodles, veg and a protein option too. These are also great options for ease and like previous meals you can get more than one meal out of this deal.
The ultimate comfort food - jacket potato
Another easy meal is the classic jacket potato, again these can be bought super cheap in Grainger Market.
Whilst the potato itself is full of fibre and nutrients, the toppings you can have with it are endless. Making it a perfect meal and one you can switch up easily.
Some of the originals like beans and cheese or tuna sweetcorn and cheese, you just can’t beat. But if you do fancy switching it up you could try something like a chilli or bolognese on it, this is another way to bulk your meals out, if you have had something the previous night you could use the sauce or filling to make a completely different meal!
Final thoughts
Exam season can be stressful enough without having to think about what you can eat each day. It is also so easy to fall into the habits of grabbing something quick that doesn’t fuel you properly to work.
By having some cheap, simple meals that can also be adapted easily can make such a difference in exam season.
Also, meal prepping helps too! I often make a big batch of a pasta sauce and freeze it to save the hassle.
These meals are essential, they take minimal effort but give you the energy needed for those long days in the library and the exams.
Hope you enjoy some of the meals if you haven’t already tried them, and best of luck with your revision, exams and assignments!
Hungry for more? Check out Yumeka's favourite items from Asian supermarkets in the city centre for more meal ideas!
By Mia, a fourth year Marketing and Management student and Student Content Creator