Eating well at university: A guide

Eating well at university: A guideEating a balanced diet at university will help ward off illness, improve concentration and improve your overall well-being - time to step away from that Pot Noodle...

For many new students, leaving for university is the first time they've lived away from home, and probably the first time they've had to cook for themselves. While convenient noodle dishes and microwave meals seem like the easiest choice, many of them are nutritionally void. If you're packing your bags for university this September, keep reading to find out how to eat well while you study.

But first of all, why is your diet at university important anyway? For starters, it can help ward off illnesses like the infamous 'Fresher's Flu' and help you recover more quickly. Having sufficient vitamins and minerals in your diet will also help you tackle stress better and will help you concentrate.

Taking a little time now to figure out how you can feed yourself without relying on daily fast-food delivery flyers will help you when you're thrown in at the deep end in September.

Take advantage of your summer off and learn some basic skills. If you can't already, learn to bake a potato, fry an egg, grill chicken and steam vegetables. Ask your parents to teach you some home favourites, this will give you something to fall back on and might even ease any homesickness.

Once you've mastered the basics, it's time to think about your food budget. If you can, find out which supermarket will be your local and scout out prices to see what overall funds you'll need for food. Ensure you prioritise essentials and think about any extras you may want for the odd treat.

Once you move in, consider clubbing together with your housemates to share the cost of everyday staples like bread and milk. You could also share the cooking - not only is this more ecological, it is a great way to bond with your new housemates.

While you don't need to dine like a king every day, taking these tips into consideration and incorporating a little forward planning and organisation will help you eat better, feel better and potentially even learn better.

To find out more about the link between nutrition and various life stages, please see our page on Life Stages.

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Written by Katherine Nicholls
Kat is a Content Producer for Memiah and writer for Nutritionist Resource and Happiful magazine.
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