Making your own food at home can be a big transition for some students and it can take a while to get into a routine to make an effective weekly shop! You want to make sure you have enough food for all your meals and that the ingredients are nutritious enough so you don’t fall into the instant noodle uni student trap. This can be a lot to balance at first, but slowly you’ll find what works for you.
As someone who has had to grocery shop for herself for the last three years of uni, here are my favorite tips to building a grocery list:
1. Pick a consistent and fast breakfast 
It can be really easy to skip breakfast when you’re rushing off to a 9am class, so it’s best to have a grab and go snack that’s easy to eat on your way to class.
Examples: granola bar, overnight oats, egg sandwich
2. Pick a fruit and vegetable of the week 
This can be an easy way to add something healthy to your diet while also adding variety to your meals. Check out what fruit and veggies are on sale the week of your shop and take them home with you for a snack.
If you can get apples, oranges, or bananas, these work perfectly as a snack to throw in your bag when you head to class.
3. Keep emergency carbs on hand 
Even if it’s not the most nutritious meal, sometimes you find yourself with nothing to eat at the end of the week with no grocery stores open and need to whip up something fast. Keeping pasta and rice stocked in your cupboard ensures that you can always make a dinner
Examples: fried rice, pastina, rice bowl
4. Pick up healthy snacks 
It can be really easy to let a sweet (or salty!) tooth get the best of your snacking, but there are some easy choices for some healthier alternatives.
Examples: nuts, dried fruit, carrots and hummus
5. Shop for more than one portion 
It’ll get really expensive if you keep buying ingredients for specific recipes just for your one meal. Meal prep multiple portions of your meal, so you don’t have to cook throughout the week and can save some money.
6. Pick 3-4 recipes to try each week 
This makes it easy to know what you’re looking for whenever you go to the grocery store, but also allows you try to out new things every week.
7. Make your recipes work together 
Oftentimes, you’ll end up with more of one ingredient than you need, so it makes the most sense to pick recipes for that week that will use up the rest of the ingredient.
Example: splitting half of your chicken into sandwiches and the other half into a pasta dish
8. Shop the reduced section 
Always look for those yellow stickers to get a deal on food. This is great for saving food that would otherwise go to waste which makes the planet and your wallet happy.
9. Pick a dessert of the week 
This is another way to try out new foods especially if you want to try your hand at making the dessert from scratch. Baking can become a really fun hobby that you can share with others. Invite your friends over to bake or bring cookies to your flatmates!
Examples: chocolate chip cookies, scones, crepes, eton mess
10. Experiment with your food 
This is a time in your life when you mainly only have to cook for yourself, so don’t be afraid to try new things! No one is going to judge you on your presentation or technique, it’s just a space for you to play and have fun.