We all know that food is an important part of a healthy lifestyle – but if you’re living on your own for the first time, getting used to new ingredients or you’re juggling study alongside family life, it can be tricky to maintain a healthy, well balanced diet. This page has some tips on how to plan your meals so they’re affordable and nutritious.

How to get your 5-a-day

Check out the NHS advice on eating well, how to get your 5-a-day and eating on a budget. Visit their website.

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Balanced diet

Eating a well-balanced diet is proven to give you energy, improve your mood and memory, support a good night’s sleep and has long term health benefits. We’ve put together some handy advice that will help you achieve a well-balanced diet:

  • Plan ahead – use your weekends to think about what you’d like to eat during the week. This will help you plan your shopping list, manage your budget and avoid food waste
  • Batch cook your favourite meal – cooking for one doesn’t need to be boring! Cook a big batch of food, separate into portions and freeze or refrigerate them for another day
  • Breakfast is an important meal – you might not feel like eating as soon as you wake up and that’s okay! Prepare a packed breakfast that you can bring with you to College, so you don’t spend the morning hungry. This will help set you up for the rest of the day
  • Everything in moderation is a good motto to live by! A healthy diet should include a variety of food groups including protein, fibre, carbohydrates, and natural sugars and fats
  • Water is your friend – it’s healthy, free and will quench your thirst. The College have refill points across campus so make sure you have your water bottle to hand

Healthy and money saving food tips

Need some advice?

Having negative thoughts about food?
Visit our pages for more information about eating disorders and how to access support

Affordable and healthy recipes

It’s easy to eat healthy, exciting meals on a budget, even if you’re learning to cook for the first time! The BBC Good Food website has hundreds of recipes, broken down into different categories, that suit a range of budgets and dietary needs. We’ve picked some of the top lists for you: