As a wise man once said ‘food glorious food’ (well perhaps more sang than said) and this couldn’t be truer. It was this visionary thinking that encouraged me to chat to you a bit on my favourite topic of all… food, cooking and eating well-ish.
This is a topic dear to my heart, as I spend a disproportionate amount of my time eating, so thought I’d cover topics ranging from why we as students should try and eat healthier to how to stock a pantry with basic food items. All in the hopes of and attempting to help the transition to adulting run more smoothly.
First of is the why. Why eat healthier and cook at home more?
The answer is probably obvious – because it’s good for you! I love pizza as much as the 
next person and if possible I would live off those Dominos £1 Pizzas all semester (if they’d do it), but I also am able to respect the importance of a green vegetable thrown in now and again. I’m not a food scientist or fully equipped with vegetable knowledge, but I do know that fruits and vegetables provide us with important vitamins and minerals that protect us from illnesses – fresher’s flu who? and help our overall function including cognitive. Thus no matter how much I’m sure we’d like to ignore it, we need to eat foods spanning more than pot noodles.
Not only are there health benefits but there is also a financial element. If I can buy 10 red onions for less than a pound which will last me days or buy fries that will satisfy me for about an hour for the same price, the choice is obvious. Not only is your body better for it but so is your bank account!
Now, I know all this is easier said by me sat at a computer in my room than it is done by you after a painfully long day of lectures and seminars (as I too have heard the seductive call of McDonalds on my way home) but, what I have found helps combat this, and makes me feel smugly adult to say, is having a well-stocked pantry and fridge.
A pantry/cupboard full of staples for easy to make dishes such as:
1.Couscous
2.Rice
3.Spaghetti/pasta
4.Noodle nests
5.Soup sachets
6.Jars of curry sauce
7.Tomato puree
Along with a fridge full of a protein source of some kind (chicken, Quorn etc.), milk, fruit juice, pre-cut and prepared vegetables and a premade pasta sauce etc.
On hand at any time means that a healthy balanced meal is only a kettle of boiled water away just like your super noodles. Preparing things ahead of time when you have spare time means that you have less of an excuse to run (lightly jog) to your local Chinese when you can’t be bothered.
Seeing as we’ve got the why and a little bit of the how out of the way, I thought I’d close by sharing a few of my go to meals (in case you want some inspiration and just so I can talk more about food).
◦ Pasta with pesto and tomato pasta sauce.
A tip I learnt from my mum chop and fry onions before adding the tomato puree for a pasta sauce I also like to add chilli.
◦ Sundried Tomato, green pesto, red onion and Mozzarella Panini’s
◦ Stir fry – consisting of rice noodles, chopped veg, ginger, hoisin and garlic stir-fry sauce, soy sauce and Quorn chicken.
◦ Couscous and seasoned chicken
And last but not least…
◦ Fried rice – using plain long grain rice, yet again chopped veg, Quorn chicken, tomato puree, soy sauce and other seasonings.
Bon appetite!
Nana