Meal prepping can really save time and money, especially if you’re a Uni student on a budget. You should meal prep because it’s more efficient, healthier and less expensive. By planning your meals in advance, you can avoid last-minute takeouts, which means you’re saving money, ensuring you’re getting a balanced diet and freeing up time for other things like studying.
In this blog, we’re going to cover meal prep ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to help you prepare delicious and healthy meal ideas, make meal prep easier, and allow you to enjoy nutritious meals all week long. These recipes are perfect for batch prepping during the weekend and grabbing throughout the week. Just store them in airtight containers and enjoy a stress-free meal at Uni!
Breakfast Ideas
Overnight oats
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 5 days)
- Ingredients: Oats, milk/yoghurt, chia seeds, fruit, honey or nut butter/peanut butter
- Tips: Use jars or containers with lids.
Egg Muffins
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days)/ Freezer (1 month)
- Ingredients: Eggs, chopped veg of choice cheese, seasoning
- Tips: Bake in a muffin tray, heat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Breakfast Burritos
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 3 days)/Freezer (1 month)
- Ingredients: Wraps, scrambled eggs, beans, cheese, salsa
- Tips: Wrap in foil and freeze individually. Toast from frozen or microwave.
Chia Pudding Pots
- Prep time: 5 minutes & chill overnight
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days)
- Ingredients: Chia seeds, milk, vanilla, maple syrup/honey and fruits
- Tips: Use small jars or containers with lids and top with fruit before eating.
Granola Bars
- Prep time: 15 minutes – no baking needed
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days)
- Ingredients: Oats, peanut butter, honey, seeds and chocolate chips
- Tips: Cut into squares and keep in a container for grab and go mornings.
Lunch Ideas
Quesadillas
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days)/ Freezer (1 month)
- Ingredients: tortilla wraps, grated cheese, filling (beans, chicken/pork/veg and salsa or other sauces)
- Tips: Wrap in foil and refrigerate individually, toast quickly in a pan or sandwich press when you’re ready to eat.
Burrito Bowls
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days)
- Ingredients: Rice/couscous, protein of your choice, vegetables (corn, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers) and extras like salsa, guacamole, cheese, yoghurt or sour cream
- Tips: Layer in containers, keep the wet ingredients like salsa and yoghurt in separate pots. You can either eat this cold or reheat the rice and protein, then top off with the extras.
Pasta Salad
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days)
- Ingredients: Cooked pasta, chopped veg, cheese, sauce and protein of choice to top it off
- Tips: Store the sauce separately until you want to eat it, to make sure the salad is fresh instead of soggy.
Wraps
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 3 days)
- Ingredients: Tortilla wraps, hummus or cream cheese, roast vegetables, deli meat/cooked chicken/ falafel/tofu and extras like spinach, cheese, hot sauce and pickles
- Tips: Wrap in foil and refrigerate. You can eat cold or toast quickly in a pan or sandwich press to reheat.
Dinner Ideas
Stir Fry
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days) / Freezer (up to 1 month)
- Ingredients: Noodles/rice, peppers, carrot, broccoli, spring onion, mushroom, courgette, baby corn and protein of your choice (chicken, tofu, prawns or even chickpeas) and sauce (soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and chilli sauce if you want a touch of spice).
- Tips: Stir fries are reheated best when stored without too much liquid, so avoid overly saucy versions. You could also rouble the recipe and mix up the vegetables and choices for variety.
Pasta Bake
- Prep time: 40 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days) / Freeze (2 months)
- Ingredients: Pasta, tomato or white sauce, cheese, veg/meat of choice
- Tips: Cool completely before freezing in portion slices.
Fried Rice
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 3 days) / Freezer (1 month)
- Ingredients: Cooked rice, egg, vegetables, soy sauce, seasonings
- Tips: Add a splash of water when reheating so it doesn’t dry out.
Curry
- Prep time: 45 minutes
- Storage: Fridge (up to 4 days) / Freezer (2 months)
- Ingredients: Chicken, chickpeas, curry paste, coconut milk, rice
- Tips: Freeze in ready to heat containers with rice for fast dinners.
Meal Prep Tips for Students
- Invest in reusable containers that are airtight, they are worth the investments.
- Label everything, include a date so you know how long they’re good for.
- Batch cook smart, so pick 1-2 ingredients like rice or pasta, to use in multiple meals.
- Freeze in portions, so you don’t need to defrost more than you need.
Our fully equipped kitchens for our student accommodation in Lancaster make meal prepping simple and enjoyable. Whether you’re planning a week of lunches or batch cooking with your flatmates, we’ve got the space and appliances to help you eat well and save money.
