Last updated: October 2026
If you’re new to living on your own or you’re just hunting for quick, no-nonsense meals to make as a student, you’re in the right place. Being a student or young professional means life is usually non-stop. Whether it’s commitments to societies, movie nights with friends, or spontaneous drinks at the pub, cooking isn’t always the first thing you want to do when you get home.
To help you out, find everything you need below to start making easy and cheap student meals while you’re away from home. From vegetarian meals to budget-friendly recipe ideas, we’ve got you covered with simple, nutritious, delicious options, perfect for busy student life.
It’s one thing to make easy, healthy meals, but it’s also important to be cost-effective in the foods you choose to eat. You’ll find in supermarkets that some foods are much cheaper than others, and some you can bulk buy to help reduce overall costs. Here’s a list of items that will help minimise your spending:
Pasta bake is a perfect example of a batch cook. Fill your ovenproof dish with as much pasta as you can! To get things started, boil your choice of pasta and start frying your choice of ingredients. It could be tomatoes, onions, courgettes, garlic, or broccoli. If you’re adding meat, make sure you cook it too before adding it to the ovenproof dish. Add your sauce to the frying pan and let it simmer for 20 minutes, then pour everything into the ovenproof dish and give it a big stir. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, add some cheese, and there you have a pasta bake!
To make an easy chilli con carne, start by browning ground beef (or plant-based mince if you prefer). Add onions and garlic, canned chopped tomatoes, and kidney beans (drained). Season the mixture with chilli powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper if you have them on hand. Let the mixture simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, then serve with rice. Enjoy!
If you’re a fan of Greek gyros, this one’s for you. This meal can be as simple and as quick as you like by first frying some halloumi in a frying pan, adding paprika, salt and pepper. Add in some peppers and onions if you want to make it interesting.
Chips are also a great side for this dish, or a salad if you fancy some greens. Garlic sauce or tzatziki works incredibly well with this wrap, so be sure to grab a tub of this if you really want it to hit your taste buds.
If you’re not big on Greek food, you can easily swap the ingredients out for this one and go for a classic chicken wrap.
This meal can easily be meat-free by simply supplementing beef with Quorn mince! Cook off the meat (whether it’s plant-based or not), then stir in a can of chopped tomatoes, adding garlic (granules if you don’t want to use cloves) and mixed herbs. Stir occasionally while you cook the spaghetti, and then serve once both are done.
@split_the_bills Nando's inspired chicken wrap recipe🔥 Thanks to Split The Bills, your payments stay the same each month - so you know exactly what’s left for the fun stuff. Like this cheeky Nando’s fakeaway 👀💸 #nandosfakeaway #cheekynandos #studentfakeaway #studentbudget #unimeals #unimealcheck
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A British classic. Crack some eggs into a frying pan and get whisking. Salt and pepper can make a big difference with this recipe, so don’t be shy about adding them. Toast and butter your bread, and then consider frying up some mushrooms.
You could also add small bits of bacon or sausage to elevate the meal. Facon (fake bacon!) works just as well with this, too.
This meal is as easy as placing sliced vegetables of your choice on a baking sheet with seasoning, roasting them for 20 minutes, and then filling a warm pita with them. Push the boat out a bit and add some hummus or Tzatziki sauce, or if you’re up to it, cut up some potatoes and place them on the tray with your vegetables to make chips; season with salt and rosemary.
If not the absolute simplest of them all, pesto pasta is a classic student dish. Boil your choice of pasta, drain it, and spoon in red or green pesto. Add vegetables and meat or tofu for a balanced meal. A plant-based alternative could be soya beans, lentils, or Quorn. You could even add a sprinkle of cheese and perhaps add a side of garlic bread.
Can’t think of anything worse than cooking after a full day of lectures? We’ve got a few rapid meals up our sleeve so you can save the day before spending a fortune at your favourite takeaway!
A quick classic. Pierce the skin of your potato, place it on a microwaveable plate, and whack it in there for around five minutes. Whilst you’re waiting for it to become light and fluffy, grate your cheese, and steam some greens of your choice.
Curry doesn’t have to take hours. Whilst the rice is on the hob, warm up a tin of butter beans, chickpeas, or lentils and frozen vegetables. For ultimate quickness, add in a jar of curry sauce, let it simmer, and you’re done!
Grab a can of taco beans and place it on the hob. Whilst they’re warming up, grate some cheese and heat up your tortilla wraps or taco shells. Put them all together, and bingo – it’s Mexican night!
Beans on toast has to be one of the simplest and quickest meals out there, but it doesn’t take much more than a few minutes to make it even better. Warm your beans on the hob with some Worcestershire sauce, grated cheese, and some butter. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve with sourdough. Additions include placing an egg of your choice on top and stirring spinach into the beans until it wilts for extra nutrients.
Boil your noodles, keep some of the cooking water and stir in some miso and soy sauce for a lovely hot broth. Add some bean sprouts and mushrooms to the pot, along with a poached egg, for a more well-rounded dish.
@split_the_bills Super easy veggie lunch🥗 #salad #food #lunch #veggie #vegetarian #quorn #nuggets #studentmeal #unifood #studentfood #unimeal #veg
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You can make many of the dishes we mentioned above vegan with simple swaps. For example, you can replace scrambled eggs with scrambled tofu, vegan cheese with cheddar, and herbs and spices rather than jarred curry if it doesn’t hit the mark!
To put it simply, what you fuel your body with dictates how much energy you’re going to have for those brutal 9 AM lectures. You literally are what you eat. If you fuel your body with nutritious foods, you’ll feel way more energised, happier, and healthier. On the flip side, relying entirely on instant noodles and frozen pizzas can leave you feeling constantly sluggish, which is the last thing you need during exam season.
A balanced diet supplies food which meets all the nutrient requirements your body needs in terms of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and micronutrients (water, fibre, vitamins, and minerals). There’s not a single food which provides all of these, which is why you should eat a diet based on starchy carbohydrates, with lots of fruit and veg (at least five a day).
Also, be sure to include moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products, lean meat and fish, as well as non-dairy protein (see here for high-protein vegan options). Balance is definitely key, and you absolutely deserve a treat after a long day on campus, but try not to live entirely on doughnuts.
When you’re doing the weekly shop, look out for a few quick wins. For example, swapping standard pork sausages for chicken sausages in your weekly meal prep is an incredibly easy way to cut down on saturated fats without losing any of the flavour.
Eating ‘healthier’ can often be viewed as more expensive; however, here are some tips to help you create nutritious yet cheap student meals …
By this, we mean avoid buying pre-cut fruit and vegetables all the time. It is always going to work out cheaper to buy them whole and chop them up yourself! Alternatively, try buying frozen fruit or veg, which won’t go bad before you get a chance to use them. If you’re buying tinned fruit and veg, avoid those with added salt or sugar. Fruit and veg contain lots of essential vitamins, and you can also take vitamin tablets for as little as £1 from major supermarkets.
Protein is essential for muscle growth, strength, and body development. However, similar to fruit and veg, buying diced chicken is a major budget killer – buy them whole and dice them yourself. You can also up your protein intake by adding protein powders to yoghurts or porridge or eating high-protein snacks. There are lots of vegan-friendly protein supplements around, so you’re still able to get those ‘gains’ no matter your dietary requirements.
You’re way less likely to blow your budget on a cheeky takeaway if you’ve already got a delicious portion of home-cooked food sitting in the fridge ready to go. Batch cooking for the week, or just making extra portion sizes the night before, is one of the best healthy habits you can build as a student.
We recommend cooking meals that include carbs such as rice, sweet potato, or whole-grain pasta. Additionally, aim to include sources of protein such as fish, lentils, or chicken… along with lots of veg to stay fuller for longer. Experiment with new foods in the kitchen to keep things fun and exciting – you’re more likely to continue to cook if you enjoy doing it!
Not only does batch cooking save you time every day (and stop house share arguments about who’s hogging the hobs), but it also costs you less money from bulk buying the ingredients and in terms of energy. By only turning the oven on once instead of four separate times, you keep your energy usage down and save money on your utility bills. Just remember to use up all your food before you go home for Christmas, Easter, or summer, so nothing gets wasted.
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When you’re juggling studies, social life, and daily living expenses, managing your finances, health, and meals as a student can sometimes be tricky.
That’s where we come in. We make it easy for students living in privately rented accommodation to handle their household bills stress-free. Instead of one person being responsible for collecting payments or worrying about who owes what, everyone pays their fair share directly through our service. We take care of utilities and broadband, and offer optional TV Licences.
All we ask is for one simple monthly payment that covers all your household bills, and we sort the rest. No drama, no hassle. This way, you can focus on enjoying your time at university and mastering your student budget meals without the hassle of managing bills.
Get a monthly price for your household bills today, or take a look at our packages to see how easy student life with Split The Bills can be.
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