Eating healthily while being a student and living on a budget is difficult! However, not all healthy meals need tons of costly ingredients. Here are my 10 tips that will help you to eat healthily on a budget:

1. Plan And Prep Meals Ahead

Meal planning allows me to make meals ahead and have them available to use for lunches or dinners. I often do this on a Sunday to prepare for the week. It means I have a structured eating plan and means I spend less time preparing meals in the week.

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2. Buy Fresh Produce And Freeze It

You can still afford fresh produce on a budget! Look for food that is on sale in grocery stores and freeze it. This will reduce the amount of food that you waste and allow you to make more meals out of it which helps to control portion size. With vegetables, buy frozen packs that are cheap and last a long time.

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3. Repurpose Leftovers

Repurpose leftovers and create a whole new meal out of them. I like turning leftovers from a meal into a soup or making it into a sandwich filling for the next days lunch or turning leftover veggies into a vegetable fried rice!

4. Buy In Bulk

When food goes on sale, try and buy things in bulk when you can. Things like pasta, rice and cupboard essentials will last a long time and saves you money in the long run. Meat is also good to bulk buy as it can be easily frozen to be used for another day.

5. Stop Buying Cafeteria Lunches

It’s easy to grab a lunch from the college canteen in between lectures, but a little bit of planning and effort to prepare your meals before hand can have a much healthier impact on your life. I make sure I eat my breakfast before leaving for lectures and take a packed lunch to eat in between. If you’re guilty of snacking, prepare healthy snacks the night before for when you get the mid-afternoon munchies.

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6. Avoid Impulse Buying

Everyone is guilty of grabbing a last minute treat at the checkout! Try and resist the promotions around the register that undo all of your hard work that’s gone into packing your cart with healthy goodies.

7. Write A Shopping List

Writing a shopping list and sticking to it is key for students to eat well and budget! Having exactly what I need for the week on a list means I don't buy unnecessary amounts of food which limits how much I waste.

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8. Go Veggie

Meat is important in maintaining a healthy balanced diet, however if you’re looking to eat on a budget, cutting meat out can significantly cut the cost of your food bill. Try replacing meat with lentils or tofu!

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9. Look Up Cheap Recipes

Cheap recipes doesn’t have to mean less taste! Check out the UNiDAYS® Pinterest page for healthy food tips and tricks.

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10. Eat More Soup!

Soup is healthy, easy to make, uses leftover veg and keeps you fuller for longer. I make a batch of soup at the beginning of each week which is all of my lunches covered for only a few dollars, winning!