Lets be real – university life is expensive. Between textbooks, rent, social nights and the occasional cheeky takeaway, budgeting becomes an extreme sport. Add trying to eat healthy on top of that? You might feel like it’s impossible. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to sacrifice your health to stick to a student budget.
Why Nutrition Matters for Students
University life can be demanding – a whirlwind of lectures, deadlines, social events and part-time jobs. Amid all this, it’s easy to underestimate the importance of eating well. Research consistently shows that good nutrition is directly linked to academic performance, mental health and physical well-being – all of which are vital for student success.
Nutrition Supports:
Cognitive Performance: The brain consumes about 20% of the body’s energy, so it’s no surprise that what you eat affects how well you think (Gómez-Pinilla, 2008).
Mental Health: Eating high-quality food nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress (Selhub, 2022).
Energy and Physical Health: Students who regularly skip meals or rely heavily on takeaways often experience irregular energy levels, poor sleep, and a higher chance of illness (Pengpid and Peltzer, 2020).
Long days of lectures, commutes or part-time jobs demand physical stamina. Nutrient-rich foods help (NHS Health Scotland, 2023):
Stabilise blood sugar, reducing energy crashes.
Support immune health, reducing the risk of illness after freshers week!
Improve sleep quality, which is essential for memory consolidation
Perhaps most importantly, university is often the first time students take full control of their own diet. The habits you form now can last into adulthood, influencing your long-term health, risk of chronic disease and relationship with food.
Note: While this slightly exceeds the £20 goal by £2, you can bring it back under budget by:
Swapping Greek yoghurt for a cheaper plain yoghurt.
Buying smaller meat portions or skipping mince.
Dropping optional extras like peanut butter.
Sample 3 – Day Meal Plan
Here’s a realistic, easy-to-cook plan for students:
Day 1:
Breakfast: Overnight oats with banana and peanut butter.
Lunch: Boil pasta and mix with tinned chickpeas and tomatoes. Add garlic or mixed herbs.
Dinner: Pan-fry chicken thighs with oil, garlic and herbs, serve with rice and veg.
Picture Source: (PixaBay, 2016)
Day 2:
Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with chopped apple and cinnamon.
Lunch: Use leftover chicken and rice in a wrap or with bread.
Dinner: Beef mince stir-fry. Cook mince beef with frozen veg and soy sauce or paprika. Serve with rice or pasta.
Picture Source: (PixaBay, 2016b)
Day 3:
Breakfast: Peanut butter toast with banana.
Lunch: Veggie omelette with toast. Just 2 eggs + frozen veg = power lunch.
Dinner: Jacket potato with baked beans and cheese (optional).
Picture Source: (PixaBay, 2020)
Best Places to Shop for Students
Lidl or Aldi – Budget-friendly staples and meat.
Tesco Everyday Value / Asda Smart Price – Affordable store brands.
Local Markets – Cheap fruit and veg (especially near closing time).
Pound Shops / Home Bargains – Good for spices, kitchen tools or tinned goods.
Tip: Sign up to loyalty cards (e.g., Tesco Clubcard) for more deals and always bring your own carrier bags!
Save More with Meal Prep & Smart Swaps
Meal Prep Tips:
Plan Ahead: Know what you’re eating before you’re starving.
Batch Cook: Make dinner, save half for lunch the next day.
Freeze Leftovers: Works well with pasta, curry, soup and rice.
Picture Source: (Dreamdecko, 2025).
Ingredient Swaps:
Use lentils to bulk out mince.
No lentils? Use chickpeas or beans.
Alternate meat days with plant-based protein like eggs or beans.
Buy cheaper cuts like drumsticks or chicken thighs.
Cooking doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to work for you.
Bonus: Mindful Eating = Better Living
It’s not just about eating cheap – it’s about feeling better. Cooking your own meals:
Reduces stress
Helps you focus
Saves you money
Builds confidence
If you can prep a week’s worth of healthy food for £20 now, imagine what you can do with a full-time salary later.
Tip: Try pairing your meals with a short walk, water bottle refills, and decent sleep. Small Changes = Big Wins!
Student Voices
“Meal prepping saved me at least £15 a week compared to eating out! Now I find it easier to save money to spend on things I enjoy”
– Josh, 2nd Year Psychology Student
“I Stopped skipping meals once I knew I had food ready in the fridge. Meal prepping helped me become more organised and less stressed”
– Amelia, Final Year Nursing Student
“I used to skip breakfast to save time and money, but once I started prepping overnight oats, I noticed I had more energy for my 9am lectures”
– Cameron, Third Year Physio Student
Try this £20 Meal Plan This Week!
Want to see how far your food budget can stretch? Try this 3-day plan and tag your creations with #StudentFuelChallenge. Let’s normalise healthy eating on a student budget.
Question for the readers: What’s your go-to cheap and healthy meal at uni? Drop it in the comments below!
Have you been thinking about studying Business, Marketing, or Digital Marketing at the University of Hull? This blog will give you essential study tips to ensure your success during your studies. Whether you’re just starting your undergraduate journey or coming back for a master’s, this is your one-stop guide on creating positive study habits for success at Hull. Did you know that around 20% of students are distracted while trying to study? (Walck-Shannon, Rowell and Frey, 2021) If this sounds like you, then look no further.. As a second-year marketing student at Hull University, I’m sharing the best study tips that I didn’t know before starting university, so I’m giving them to you to make sure you are ahead of the game.
Why Choose Hull?
Hull offers students excellent academic support through lecturers, the Hubble portal, and the library team. (University of Hull, n.d.). As well as this, the City of Culture 2017 offers affordable living for students while offering a city packed with culture and opportunities. Fun Fact: Hull is ranked the 12th cheapest student city by The Times (Bhardwa, 2017).
Plan Your Study Schedule Early
Uni Life is busy from lectures to assignments to social events and even work, planning is essential to avoid drowning under the pressure of work. A great way to create a schedule is by using planners such as Google Calendar or Microsoft Excel, as these help keep you afloat and under control.
Personal Tip: I break down big assignments into smaller tasks and take regular breaks, as it helps the work feel less daunting and a chore to get started with.
2. Make use of the University’s Study Resources
The Brymor Jones Library is much more than any old Library, with a dedicated skills team and the social seventh floor as well as all the books you could dream of. But that’s not just it, the Library website has access to dozens of databases to support your studies.
3. Find your Ideal Study Space
Everybody studies differently; it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. What may work for somebody else may not work for you. At the University of Hull and the surrounding areas, there are many different environments to test your perfect study atmosphere.
4. Manage Your Time Like a Pro
I know from experience that uni deadlines come up fast, so you need to develop good time management skills so you can stay ahead of the game. These skills are essential as they can be transferred into careers post graduation.
Recommended methods
Pomodoro Technique- Work for 25 minutes- break for 5- (Learn more – watch this quick video).
Use apps that lock your phone to keep focus ( Forest).
Set Weekly Goals for work you need to complete.
5. Work With Your Classmates
As a second-year student, I can tell you that group work is common across all business-based courses. You will need to develop teamwork skills as these are essential to come out with good grades. Here are some opportunities to develop them.
Collaborate on assignments and share lecture notes.
Personal Experience: Once you break the ice with your group members, you can end up with a tight-knit group of friends.
6. Look After Your Physical and Mental Health
Academic success comes from more than just studying. Keeping healthy is essential.
The University of Hull has the Allam Sports Centre, which features a state-of-the-art gym and numerous courts to play sports on.
For mental health, practice mindfulness with apps such as Headspace or Calm.
As well as this, Sleep, nutrition, exercise and resting time are just as important as your deadlines.
Personal Tip: If you feel yourself getting stressed out or mentally fatigued from work, go to the gym to let off some steam and feel refreshed.
7. Use Technology to Your Advantage
As a marketing student, I quickly learned how powerful digital tools can be. There are many different tools that you can use, you may not know where to start so I have listed the ones I use the most.
Grammarly– this can help polish your assignments by improving grammar and flow, as well as suggesting different words to use.
Chatgpt- this AI chatbot can help you start your long essays by giving you key ideas that you could develop in your work. As well as this, it can help rewrite parts that don’t make sense or suggest things that could be better.
MyBib– This tool is a reference generator, essential for getting references correct.
Five Useful Apps For Students!
1. Notion– Good for keeping all your notes in one Place- Free (Save the Student, 2024)
2. Simple Mind– Good for organising your Thoughts through mindmaps- Free (Save the Student, 2024)
3. AppBlock– Good for staying focused when you’re trying to study- Free (Save the Student, 2024)
4. Microsoft 365– Good for accessing your work anywhere across multiple devices- Free with uni office accounts(Save the Student, 2024)
Studying at the University of Hull is a fantastic opportunity to build not only your specialised skills for your degree, but you will also grow your confidence, independence, and career skills!
Here’s a small infographic summarising some of the tips I have discussed in this blog. Generated by (ChatGPT,2025)
By following my essential guide for surviving university, you will be planning, making use of resources, staying healthy, and using technology, you’ll be ahead of the game and be on track for success in your Business, Marketing or Digital Marketing degree.
Call to Action
Are you a Hull Student or perhaps a student across the UK with your study hack?
Don’t be a gatekeeper- Drop a comment below and share your best tips!
Do you want to swap and learn other people’s study strategies or connect with fellow UK Students? Add me on LinkedIn– Let’s build a network of support.
We Thrive Off Your Feedback
Was this blog helpful? Got a tip I missed and you want to share it?
Please leave a Comment below- your feedback leads to greater quality blogs.
Leave a Reply