Vegan Survival Guide: University Edition

Flying the nest and having to fend for yourself for the first time can be both exciting and nerve--wracking. The idea of having to buy and cook your own food is a daunting idea for some. Students are often put off going vegan due to a lack of money. The truth is, eating vegan is 100% doable on a student budget.

What to buy at the supermarket

Before I head to do my weekly food shop, I make sure I bring a big sturdy backpack. The reason for this being that you are going to be buying a LOT of fruits and vegetables. These really weigh down your bags and make the journey home difficult. It's better if most of the weight is distributed across your back.

It's also a good idea to think about which supermarket you are going to visit. My favourites are Lidl and Aldi purely because everything is so cheap, especially fruits and vegetables. You can easily go to Lidl and do a £20 food shop that will last you 1-2 weeks depending on how smart you are with cooking your food (I will go into detail about this later).

Another thing to consider is markets. You can get lots of great fresh fruits and vegetables at markets, and I find the sizes are much bigger than supermarkets which mean you get a lot more for your money.

My usual basic weekly food shop consists of: Fruits: Apples, Bananas (must have!), kiwis, clementines, grapes, frozen fruit (great for smoothies)

Vegetables: Potatoes, broccoli, cucumber, mixed leaf salad packs, spinach, carrots, avocados

Food Cupboard: Pasta, rice, sweetcorn, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, tinned tomatoes, wholemeal bread, wholemeal pitta bread

This is a very basic food shop. Sounds boring, right? Trust me, the more you learn about cooking good food with seasonings and spices, the better your food will taste.

Note how I haven't included any fancy soy milk, tofu, vegan cheeses etc. I do buy these but only on occasion as these imitation products are what makes a vegan food shop expensive.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are all you really need. You save a lot of money when you're not wasting your money on meat, dairy and processed foods.

TIP: Frozen veg! Obviously not as good as fresh vegetables, but frozen veg will last much longer, avoiding the disappointment of your food expiring before you have the chance to eat it.

How to cope with lunchtimes at university

9/10 lunchtimes at uni will suck because there probably won't be much if any, vegan food available. I highly recommend bringing a packed lunch with you. Not only does this save money, but it saves you from going hungry at lunch! My packed lunches usually consist of leftover dinners, salads or wraps. It's also a great idea to carry around snacks such as fruit, nuts and vegan protein bars for when you feel hungry during the day. Banana's are great for extra boosts of energy!

MEAL PREPPING!

I absolutely recommend meal prepping to literally anyone, vegan or not because seriously this will save you time and money.

The idea of meal prepping is simple: cook a massive meal, separate into portion sizes, freeze it and reheat throughout the week. If you're not fussed about eating the same thing for dinner all week you can save yourself so much time because you won't have to cook!

I find it's best to purchase several small Tupperware boxes to separate your meals into portion sizes as it isn't nice to keep reheating the same food over and over.

Earlier I mentioned how there is a way for your to be "smart" with the way you cook your food. As we all know, fruit and veg tend to expire quite quickly. You want to try to make a giant meal using most of the veg that will soon expire. This way you can cook your delicious wholesome meal and freeze it which will stop your veg from expiring before you can get to eat it.

This is also why I like to stock up on frozen fruit for my smoothies throughout the week. It lasts so much longer!

General money saving tips for vegan students

1. Cut down on soft drinks and you will save your pennies. Water is so much better for you anyway!

2. You don't necessarily have to buy milk substitutes such as rice milk, soy milk etc. You can get your calcium from vegetables such as kale, broccoli and spring onions.

3. Bringing your own lunch to uni and work will literally save you ££££££££s

4. Food shopping can be overwhelming and it's easy to overspend. Write down a list before you go and stick to it. Never shop on an empty stomach!!

5. Snacks from the free-from section are awesome, but having fruit as a snack is way cheaper and healthier.

6. Some supermarkets do "wonky veg boxes". These are basically less aesthetically pleasing vegetables that the supermarkets don't want on their shelves. You can get a week's supply of vegetables for around £5. Definitely, something to look into!

All of these are things I do to keep the cost of my lifestyle down to a minimum. Being vegan can be expensive but only if you let it.

For those of you who are still unsure about going vegan, try it for a week, it's really not as hard as you may think!