Top Food Hacks to Save Money and the Planet

We've gathered insights from UK University students to find out their best money-saving (and sustainable) food hacks.

Save money on food: student meal deals

Rumours are circulating that popular meal deals in various supermarkets are looking to come to an end, throwing lunchtime feasting into disarray. In a bid to help students navigate the change with savvy alternatives, we asked our followers via Instagram story polls to discover the most popular meal deal combination...

Student top 3 sandwich picks 🥪
1.     BLT
2.     Ham & Cheese
3.     Tuna Mayo

Student top 3 crisp picks 🥔
1.     Sweet Chilli
2.     Corn Chips
3.     Ready Salted

Student top 3 drink picks 🧃
1.     Smoothies
2.     Water
3.     Soft Drink

Using a Reddit thread to speak directly to the students, we collected responses from students looking to share their tips and tricks to help create your number one meal deal at home, all the while saving money. Recreating favourite meals at home results in a total cost of just over £2, coming in at almost half the price of the average meal deal. We've listed the ingredients and prices below, giving you more meal deals for your budget:

Bread - 12p (based on 2 slices of Hovis Soft White Medium Bread from Aldi at £1.25) 🍞

Bacon - 30p (based on 2 rashers of Oakhurst Unsmoked Rashers from Aldi at £1.49) 🥓

Lettuce - 22p (based on 20g of Nature's Pick Iceberg Lettuce from Aldi at 89p) 🥬

Tomato - 9p (based on ½ tomato from Nature’s Pick Salad Tomatoes from Aldi at 99p) 🍅

Sweet Chilli Crisps - £1.15 (Snackrite Perfections Sweet Chilli Crisps from Aldi at £1.15) 🌶

Frozen Fruit - 40p (100g Four Seasons Summer Fruits from Aldi at £1.99) 🫐

Juice - 10p (based on The Juice Company Apple Juice from Aldi at 99p) 🍏

More ways to save money on food

Whether you're a vegan or a meat-eater, here are some of the best and most ‘upvoted’ responses for students by students on how to make your meals go further:

Buy in Bulk 💪🏼

Meal prep like a boss. Rice and pasta, in particular, can pad out a meal into something more substantial and can be stored for a long time, so be sure to grab some during your weekly shop. Get your hands on a cheap or second-hand slow cooker so you can start it in the morning and have meals ready when you get in from class (or a night out).

Shop Late ⏰

Supermarkets will move certain products into the reduced section after 7 PM (and on Sundays), so shop late and find yourself some bargains - although you may have to use them within the next couple of days.

Too Good to Go 📱

This fabulous food waste reduction app works in partnership with local shops and restaurants to take their surplus and unsold produce off their hands. It's great if you want a ready-made meal without the hefty price tag.

Use Everything 🍲

Whether it's bones from a whole cooked chicken, broccoli stems, or a bit of leftover pasta, there are very few things that can’t be repurposed into a stock, soup, or stew. As long as you have the freezer space to house it, use as much as you can and have emergency meals ready to go.

Freezers are Friends 🧊

Speaking of freezers, if you have one, use it as much as you can. Frozen veg, fruit, smoothie mixes - all make for an easy way of getting in your 5-a-day without having the cost of fresh produce or the threat of it going off in two days.

Grow Your Own 🌱

Okay, this only really works with herbs, but still, it’s a cheap and easy way to add some flavour to your meals. Sage, parsley, mint and chives tend to be the most durable and easy to grow, just pop them on a windowsill and use them as needed.

To see the full list of responses from students, head to the Reddit thread.

Still need a place to cook?

Now that you're all set with our tips for saving money on food, you'll need your very own student kitchen - where all the magic happens. At UniHomes, you can browse student accommodation and filter by your chosen location, budget, and group size. And don't forget, the listed properties here come with bills included, so that's one less thing you'll have to factor into your uni budget!