After hearing that the average student spends around £30 on food a week, I set myself a challenge to see if I could find some quick, easy meals that wouldn’t break the bank. To make it even more of a challenge, I tried to keep all my meals under £1, and honestly, it wasn’t as hard as I thought!
Quick disclaimer before we get started – I haven’t included olive oil or spices in the prices because I kind of figured most people would already have these. Also, these are £1 a head as often cooking in bulk is cheaper, so you can share your £1 wonders with your friends, or freeze the leftovers for later 🙂
Recipes and prices are all down below (based on Lidl prices or approximations), or you can watch a video where I make all these too!
PITA CHIPS AND HUMMUS
INGREDIENTS
2 pieces of pita bread per person (7p)
Hummus (50p – or even cheaper if you make your own!)
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 200C
- Break pita bread into small pieces.
- Cover oven tray with 1 tbsp olive oil
- Spread pita =bread over tray, ensuring pieces are covered in oil, then sprinkle with 1 tsp salt
- Place tray in oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy
- Enjoy with hummus or another dip of your choice!
Serves: 1
Cost: 64p
SIMPLE SOUP
INGREDIENTS
2 x chopped tomatoes: (29p each)
Onion (6p)
Vegetable stock cube (12p)
Knob of butter: (Roughly 10p)
METHOD
- Cut onion into large chunks (or smaller for a less chunky soup)
- Melt butter in pan at medium head, then add onions and soften for 2-3 minutes
- Add chopped tomatoes, stir, then add 1 cup of vegetable stock
- Simmer and stir occasionally for 30-40 minutes
- Enjoy! I normally eat with baguette or garlic bread, and sprinkle a little cheese on top too.
Serves: 2
Overall cost: 91p, per serving: 45p
RED LENTIL & COCONUT DHAL
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of red lentils (45p)
Chopped tomatoes: (29p)
Coconut milk: (75p)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp spicy curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
METHOD
- On medium heat, add chopped tomatoes and spices together, mixing well. Add lentils and coconut milk.
- Once mixed together, bring to the boil, then stir and simmer for 45 minutes minimum, adding extra water if necessary
- Enjoy with rice, yoghurt or plain!
Serves: 3
Overall cost: £1.30, per serving: 43p
BACON & TOMATO PASTA
INGREDIENTS
Half a bag of pasta (15p)
Chopped Tomatoes: (29p)
200g Bacon Rashes: (99p)
Onion: 6p
METHOD
- Chop onion and fry on low heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened
- Add bacon and fry until cooked through.
- Add chopped tomatoes, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
- Add cooked pasta to frying pan, mixing well, then serve and enjoy! For an extra 30p, you can also add garlic bread to your tasty meal.
Serves: 3
Overall cost: £1.49, per serving: 49p
BANANA PANCAKES
INGREDIENTS
Banana (20p)
1 cup of oats (10p)
2 eggs (30p)
1 tsp cinnamon
Fruit or maple syrup for toppings!
METHOD
- Break up banana, add oats, eggs and cinnamon and mix well
- Using a blender, blend together until smooth, adding a dash of milk if necessary (I didn’t blend enough in the video, so it came out lumpier than it should!)
- Add mix to pan on medium/low heat in whatever pancake size you prefer, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side or until brown.
- Add maple syrup or fruit to the pancakes and enjoy!
Serves: 1
Cost: 60p, (with raspberries, as in the video, overall cost 1.06)