student
Student meal plan UK (a week of dinners for about £20)
A student food budget has to stretch a long way, and the takeaway apps are always one tap away. The way round it is one big cook early in the week and a handful of cheap staples that turn into different dinners.
This plan starts with a pot of bean and lentil chilli on Monday that covers three more meals. Everything else is pasta, rice, eggs, potatoes and sausages. No special kit beyond a pan, a baking tray and a microwave.
The shop comes to about £20. The rice, spices, stock cubes and peas last well beyond the week, so the following shop is cheaper.
A week of meals
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Monday
Bean and lentil chilli with rice
Red lentils, two tins of kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, onion, grated carrot and chilli powder. Makes four portions.
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Tuesday
Tuna and tomato pasta
Pasta, a tin of tuna, a tin of chopped tomatoes, garlic and a handful of grated cheese. Fifteen minutes.
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Wednesday
Chilli jacket potato
Monday's chilli reheated over a baked potato with cheese. Microwave the potato first to save oven time.
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Thursday
Egg fried rice with peas
Two eggs, frozen peas, onion and soy sauce stirred through leftover rice. One pan, ten minutes.
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Friday
Chilli nachos
Tortilla chips topped with the third portion of chilli and grated cheese, under the grill until it melts.
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Saturday
Sausage and potato traybake
Sausages, chopped potatoes, carrot and onion on one tray. Freeze the spare sausages for next week.
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Sunday
Cheese omelette with beans
Two eggs, the end of the cheese and a tin of beans. The last chilli portion goes in the freezer.
Your shopping list
Grouped by aisle so you walk the shop once. Prices reflect a typical UK supermarket basic range.
Meat & fish
- Pork sausages 6-pack £1.80
- Tuna 1 tin £0.85
Fresh fruit & veg
- Onions 1kg £0.95
- Garlic bulb £0.40
- Baking potatoes 4-pack £0.90
- Carrots 1kg £0.55
Dairy & eggs
- Eggs 6 £1.40
- Mature cheddar 400g £2.90
- Semi-skimmed milk 2 pints £1.25
Cupboard staples
- Pasta 500g £0.60
- Long-grain rice 1kg £1.00
- Kidney beans 2 tins £0.90
- Red lentils 500g £1.10
- Chopped tomatoes 3 tins £1.35
- Baked beans 1 tin £0.35
- Tortilla chips £0.80
- Soy sauce £0.90
- Chilli powder £0.75
- Stock cubes £0.50
Frozen
- Frozen peas 900g £1.00
Prices are guides and may vary by store and region.
A few tips
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1
Cook the rice for Monday and Thursday in one go. Cool the leftovers quickly, keep them in the fridge and use them within a day.
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2
Split the staples (oil, rice, spices) with housemates. Everyone pays less than buying their own.
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3
Red lentils bulk out mince or replace it completely. They cook in 15 minutes and cost a fraction of the meat.
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4
Look for yellow-sticker reductions late in the day and freeze what you will not eat within a couple of days.
Your own plan
Want a plan built for your family?
These ready-made plans are a great starting point. For a plan that fits your exact budget, your dietary needs and the kids' fussy bits, make your own in about five minutes.
No card needed. Cancel any time.
More plans: High-protein budget meal plan UK (a week for one, about £35), Tesco meal plan for a family of 4 (about £55 a week), Cheap weekly meal plan UK (under £50 for a family of 4), Budget meal plan for a family of 4 (£60 a week)