Be richer and healthier in 2020: take a packed lunch to university
by Nathan Colom - 11th January 2019
5 simple student lunches for a new you
Yes, we all roll our eyes when friends and family announce that, starting from the first week of January, they’re going to sort out their messy lives. But I suspect that we’re all a little guilty of seeing the New Year as a chance to get ourselves back on track.
While we’re busy making ourselves promises to improve our health, money or work, there’s actually one change that will definitely help with all three: taking a healthy packed lunch into university.
No more boring pesto pasta that’s actually more cheese than pasta. No more expensive and unhealthy meal deals from the campus shop (because who chooses the fruit as a snack when there’s crisps and chocolate on offer?).
And, unfortunately, no heading home from the library at 11:30 because you’re feeling peckish, only to relinquish your self-made promise to return to the library faster than you can say ‘cheese and ham toastie on the George Foreman’.
5 super simple (and cheap) options
To get you going with this new year’s resolution. Here are a few quick and cheap recipes for on the go lunches.
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad
All of the captions might just be ‘nom nom nom’.
With room to improvise, this recipe is great for using up leftover veggies, helping you to save money.
Simply roast your favourite vegetables before adding to couscous. If you want to impress your library friends, top it with fancy extras like pomegranate and parsley.
This recipe would also be a great to have for dinner one night, then lunch the next day, saving the hassle of cooking in the morning.
See the recipe, here:
Mary Berry’s Butternut Squash Soup
I thought I had something, but no: ‘nom, nom, nom’.
Mary B. may be best known for her cakes and innuendos, but she’s come up trumps with this warming soup! It’s great for cold days on campus.
Pro-tip: try tossing the squash in dried cumin, coriander and chilli flakes before you roast it. It adds a spicy kick to your bland lunch times.
See the recipe, here:
https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/roasted_butternut_squash_10281
Quinoa-Mushroom Frittata with Fresh Herbs
This will surpass your eggs-pectations. (Nom, nom, nom obviously)
Perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner, have this “plant power” frittata ready and waiting in your fridge to help you start the new year right.
Again, anything goes with this recipe. So whether its onion, peppers or spinach, any old veg will only add to the goodness, and make this a lunch worth carrying in. That is, if you’ve resisted eating it all for breakfast.
Find out how to make it, here:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/healthy-lunch-recipes-salad-pizza-frittata
Super Food Noodle Salad
This might need some fancy ingredients, but still nom, nom, nom.
Though this recipe may initially seem costly, with various different oils and sauces to buy, these are a one-time purchase that will keep in the fridge or cupboard for a long time. You’ll be able to use these tasty oriental flavours for as long as you keep up with your resolutions.
Keep the costs down with ready squeezed lime juice and dried chillies, or, if you’re not feeling meat free meals, then this recipe would go great with both chicken and beef marinated in soy sauce.
Find out how to create this lovely lunch, here:
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/super-food-noodle-salad/
Pesto Pasta
You may think ‘Bah, not pesto’. But I think nom, nom, nom.
For those of you who can’t resist this student staple, but want to add a New Year twist to your old favourite, here is a healthier, homemade version of the classic.
Whether this is your new go-to lunch, or you take one look and decide it’s too much hassle, we hope whatever you make is delicious.
You’ll also need one of these…
There’s no point making a tasty lunch if you can’t carry it to campus.
Here are some great lunch boxes, which we’re sure will help you stick to your goals and motivate you with your New Year’s resolutions.
Leak-Proof Lunch Box with Compartments
Nom, nom, nom? OK, that’s not going to work, is it.
£7.79 / £10.99
Whether you choose small or large, this practical lunch box will keep your fork clean and even comes with a snack compartment, great for nuts or something sweet to round off the meal.
Buy it here:
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/18313/Leak-Proof-Lunch-Box-with-Compartments-Large-900ml
PuTwo Leakproof Bento Box
Fancy!
£14.99
For those of you who’ll be adding pomegranates and parsley to your couscous salad, this more stylish bento box may be more to your taste. With two sections, and a cutlery compartment, when you whip this out, your friends would be easily fooled into thinking that you have your life together.
Buy it, here:
SHO Food Flask
See, flasks aren’t just for old people.
£21.99
Keeping food hot for 8-12 hours, and coming in an appealing range of colours, this flask is perfect for transporting hot food into uni. Whether it’s homemade soup, or, the usual pesto pasta, which will likely have make a return by mid-January, sad and sorry cold meals can be a thing of the past.
Buy one, here:
Now that you have some inspiration, we hope that you have a great 2020 and achieve everything you set out to do. And, most importantly …
If you’re looking for some more simple, healthy student food, you can try these recipes too: https://www.purplefrogproperty.com/blog/5-deliciously-easy-student-recipes/.
Looking for ideas to keep your January resolutions, then read this: https://www.purplefrogproperty.com/blog/beat-january-blues/