There’s no doubt about it, uni can get busy! No matter how busy it may get, it’s important to always be looking after yourself. One way to do this is to make sure you’re eating regular meals and snacks throughout the day. Below are some snack and meal ideas you may want to incorporate into your schedule.
- Breakfast Smoothie Meal Prep
Smoothies are a great way to start the day if you’re in a hurry. A great time-saver is to buy your smoothie ingredients in bulk and make smoothie containers. Fill 5-7 containers of your smoothie ingredients (this recipe from fitfoodie recommends one cup of frozen strawberries and bananas, one cup of fresh spinach and one teaspoon of chia seeds, but you can add whatever you enjoy!). Freeze the containers so each morning you can pour the contents of your smoothie container into your blender, along with water or milk and blend. This is great for morning lectures or tutorials as the preparation is already done so you can just wake up, blend, and head to class!
- Crackers and Dip
Filling a small container with your favourite dip is a great in-between class snack during a busy day. Try hummus with carrots or crackers for a low expense, high taste snack!
- Mason Jar Salad
A great lunch preparation option is jar salads. Mason jar salads are a great, easy to fix meal that will keep your greens fresh and give you a great portion size. The recipe is simple, fill your jar beginning with your dressing or sauce and ending with your lettuce or herbs. Jar salads are a great meal prep option as they can be made and stored in the fridge for the week. This Muse article contains three mason jar salad recipes you might like to try!
- Fruit
Sometimes simple is best. Having a bowl of fruit at home is a quick and healthy snack. Fruit is great to grab on your way out the door heading to uni or for a quick snack between classes. There’s also a wide variety of fruit to choose from at your local fruit and veg shop, so you’ll never be bored.
- Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are a great breakfast or snack. Fill a container with oats, milk, chia seeds and fruit, cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight, ready to eat in the morning! This overnight oats recipe by Cookie and Kate lasts up to five days in the fridge so you can make them on Sunday night and have breakfast for the week sorted!
- Burrito Bowls
Burrito bowls are a great way to use any leftover vegetables or spices you have around your kitchen. Recipes can be easily altered to include whatever you would like to include as toppings. This 15-minute Mexican burrito bowl is perfect for a quick dinner while studying for your next test or exam.
- Pasta
Pasta is cheap, easy and convenient. Dry pasta can be cost-efficient and serve a large group, perfect for uni housing or share houses. Pasta is a great base for a variety of differently flavoured meals depending on the pasta you buy, the sauce you use, and additional ingredients you choose to add. Be sure to try this 30-minute recipe for cheesy ham and broccoli pasta on your next pasta night.
