Tips for Healthy Eating for Students on a Budget

Many students like to visit Glasgow and other world-class cities to study abroad. When they start living in an overseas city, they have to make all the arrangements on their own. As long as they lived with their family (parents, grandparents, siblings, etc.), they had a lot of people to look after them. But, this is not the case in overseas studying and they are required to look after themselves. Max to max, in the case where students live in shared rooms or houses, roommates/housemates can take care of each other. But, they also have a limit; therefore, it is good for you to prepare yourself to take care of yourself.

One of the major aspects of taking care of yourself is healthy eating. But, apart from this, you also need to take care of your budget and you have to do it without sacrificing healthy eating. So, here, you will read some tips for healthy eating on a budget in Glasgow or any city.

Tips

1. Cook Food in Your Kitchen as Much as Possible

There are two ways to have daily meals, which are eating in restaurants and cooking in your kitchen. Eating in a restaurant occasionally for a change is good but doing it regularly or frequently can put extra pressure on your budget. Besides, eating outside regularly is not considered good for health by the experts.

On the other hand, cooking in the kitchen is healthy as well as money-saving at the same time. So, you should prefer cooking meals in the kitchen as much as possible.

You can find a fully-equipped kitchen in your student accommodation in Glasgow or any city. Most of the accommodations designed for students today come with cooking hobs, microwaves, ovens, and refrigerators, so you don’t have any difficulty with this.

2. Prefer Plant-Based Food and Some Amount of Milk Products

It is a proven fact now that plant-based food is a healthy food. It reduces the risks of diabetes, strokes, heart disease, and many mental health illnesses. You can find every nutrient in plant-based food, and the only thing you need to take care of is that you have to prefer eating proper meals not fast foods. A good thing is that plant-based foods are inexpensive too.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are great sources of nutrients that you can get. Pulses, soybeans, dry fruits, and there are many other things that you can consume for a healthy diet.

Besides, you can also add some amount of milk products to your diet, which can cover up all deficiencies if any.

3. Shop Smartly

Buying some eatables in bulk can help you save money in Glasgow or any host city. Staples like rice, beans, lentils, oats, and pasta are much cheaper when bought in bulk. These items have a long shelf life and can be used in a variety of dishes.

Moreover, many stores offer discounts to students, so you can use these discounts for you which you need to bring your student ID when you shop.

4. Choose Affordable and Nutrient-Dense Food More

Choosing affordable and nutrient-dense foods may help you save money along with getting good health, such as:

• Proteins: Lentils, soybean, beans, and tofu.
• Carbohydrates: Brown rice, whole grain pasta, potatoes, and oats.
• Fruits and vegetables
• Healthy Fats: Peanut butter, seeds, nuts (in bulk), olive oil, and avocados.

5. Grow Your Own Herbs and Vegetables If Possible

If you have a space in your house outdoor, and you have time, then you can grow your own herbs and vegetables. Some easy-to-grow vegetables are tomatoes, lettuce, and bell peppers. If you have space, growing herbs like basil, mint, or cilantro in small pots can save money over time. It is a well-known fact that the food grown in the house is very healthy.

Sample Budget-Friendly Grocery List

Buying budget-friendly groceries can be beneficial for you so here is a sample budget-friendly grocery list.

Category Item

• Proteins Pulses, canned beans, lentils, tofu
• Carbs Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, potatoes
• Veggies Carrots, broccoli, spinach, frozen mixed vegetables
• Fruits Bananas, apples, frozen berries, oranges
• Healthy Fats Peanut butter, olive oil, avocados
• Snacks Yogurt, popcorn kernels, mixed nuts
• Spices & Extras Salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried herbs

Conclusion

By following some simple tips, you can eat healthy on a budget while living in Glasgow or any city. The first thing you can do is to prefer cooking food in your kitchen rather than going to a restaurant regularly or frequently. Besides, eating plant-based food and adding some milk products to your diet can save your money and provide you with good health simultaneously. Shopping smartly and choosing affordable and nutrient-dense food more may also provide you with healthy eating and money saving together. It is also good if you grow your own herbs and vegetables if possible. You can choose affordable and healthy groceries sample list of which can be seen in the previous section.