Healthy eating on a budget

This time of year, thousands of students around the country are leaving home to go to college, many for the first time.For lots of people not having a cooked dinner on the table every evening might be a shock to the system. Many first year students will need to get into the habit of grocery shopping and preparing meals - all while keeping a close eye on their budget. The good news is it isn't difficult to eat healthily while remaining on a tight student budget.Food shopping TipsChoose fruit and vegetables which are in season or go to a market where prices are often lower. Frozen vegetables or fruit and vegetables tinned in natural juice or water are good alternatives to fresh - they're inexpensive and easily stored. Cheap cuts of meat are often fatty, so buy smaller amounts of lean cuts and bulk out the meal using pulses such as beans, chick-peas, lentils. Many supermarkets now offer value products, e.g. bread, pasta, tomatoes, which are much cheaper than branded goods. Take advantage of special offers if you can, e.g 2 for the price of 1. Shop and cook with a friend or group of friends - as well as being more fun, bulk buying tends to be cheaper in the long run, and everyone gets to take turns at the cooker and washing up.Cheap ingredientsIt's a good idea to stock up on the following items at the start of term so you always have something to hand when money is tight.These foods can easily be prepared into a nutritious meal and will not go bad quickly. Rice, pasta, lentils, tinned beans/chickpeas/lentils. Packet/tinned soups. Tinned vegetables, e.g. tomatoes, sweetcorn. Frozen vegetables.Finding it hard to get in all your Fruits and Vegetables?Buy in smaller quantities: even if it's a little more expensive, it's better than throwing things out. Share your fruits and vegetables with your housemates so they get used up faster (and you can share the cost). Use frozen vegetables and fruit: they are still nutritious, and keep for longerBuy fruit tinned in its own juice (instead of in syrup). Eat dried fruits as a snack (raisins, apricots, figs, bananas).Instead of using a lot of oil to keep food from sticking to your frying panUse a non-stick pan. Add a small amount of stock or water as the food cooks. Use a cooking spray.Use plastic containers for leftovers.If you're going through the trouble of cooking, you may as well make enough for two meals so you don't have to cook the next night.Alternatively, if you have access to a freezer, cook in batches, and freeze individual portions of the meals. Then simply thaw and reheat as needed.More about leftoversSave your leftover foods, and use a little imagination to turn them into tempting dishes. Some of the many dishes you can prepare using leftovers include soups, sandwiches, baked dishes, casseroles, and satisfying salads.Here are a few suggestions:VegetablesAdd to a salad, casseroles, soupUse potatoes as a casserole toppingUse in an omeletteFry potatoes with grated onionsFruitSlice over cerealStir through yoghurt of any flavourChop up, top with oats/ muesli and bake as a crumbleBlend various fruits together with yoghurt/ milk to make a nutritious smoothiePasta or RiceAdd to soup/ casserolesUse cold in saladsUse leftover rice for fried riceMeatAdd to a saladCombine in layers with potatoes, onions, and a selection of thinly sliced vegetables. Top with grated cheese breadcrumbs and bake.Use sliced in a sandwichAdd to omelettes or scrambled eggsUse in a casseroleReheat with gravy or sauceUse with pasta and tomato sauceUse in soups (e.g. chicken in mushroom soup)Last but not least - be creative with cooking.Now is the time to experiment with new foods and flavours, you can even use your new housemates as guinea pigs.For more information contact Maria at 044 9353220 or email community.dietitians@hse.ie.