[ad_1]
However tempting the pizzas, cheese toasties and sugary alcoholic drinks are, there are plenty of ways to still aim for a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Here are our top tips:
Plan ahead – and budget
Write a list of the recipes you’re looking to make for the week ahead. If you’ve already set out a plan of what you’re eating this will help ward off any temptation to just throw a pizza in the oven.
Seasoned shoppers will tell you that going to the supermarket without a list (and when you’re hungry) can be a costly mistake. Draw up a list and stick to it – that way you’re less likely to come home with a big bag of biscuits and crisps, and no actual meals.
Batch cook
Eli Brecher, 23, a food blogger who’s studying human nutrition at the University of Westminster, swears by batch cooking. “When you’re cooking dinner, make three extra portions: put one in the fridge for lunch tomorrow, and freeze the remaining two (in separate Tupperware) for a quick microwave meal after a very busy day when you don’t have time to cook.”
Preparation at home
Before Emma Bradley’s daughter Chloe, 19, started her criminology and criminal justice studies degree at the University of Plymouth last year, she bought her a few student cookbooks and they planned some meals together. “I was concerned because she likes to eat healthily and I was worried about the costs of healthy food for her.” Bradley recommends using the summer to help prepare for eating healthily at uni. “Get them in the kitchen with you and helping to prepare food,” she says. “I did a week at home where I gave her £30 to feed herself for a week and have a practice run while we were on holiday. I let her use our store cupboard items but she had to buy the rest. It taught her the prices of the things that she took for granted and made her think about how much she had to feed herself each week.”
Look out for reduced goods
Supermarkets often slash the prices of products such as fish and fruit towards the end of the day. Some items you’ll be able to freeze and eat at a later date.
Stock up on frozen fruit and veg
Brecher also recommends buying frozen fruit and veg. “It’s much cheaper than fresh, but has just as many nutrients. Blend frozen mango and banana chunks into smoothies, stir frozen berries into porridge, or add frozen greens, such as edamame beans and broccoli, to a stir-fry.”
Drink sensibly
Ensure you’re filling up on water – three or four pints a day – and watch your alcohol intake: the NHS website recommends 14 units a week for women and men. That equates to no more than six pints of average-strength beer (4% ABV) or seven medium-sized glasses of wine (175ml, 12% ABV) a week.
[ad_2]
READ SOURCE
