It’s a pretty well-known fact that students don’t exactly have the best diets, because let’s face it — nobody has the time, money or motivation to whip up a Michelin-star meal every night. However, allow me to enlighten and inspire you with some healthy, cheap, non-perishable, and easily-adaptable ingredients to keep on hand for those days when you’re tempted to give up and order an overpriced burger on Deliveroo. After much deliberation, I present to you my five favourite kitchen cupboard staples. Take this as your reminder that there is more to the student culinary experience than Pot Noodle and baked beans (as much as we love them).
- Oats
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It’s embarrassing how often I eat porridge for dinner. But sometimes when there is absolutely nothing in the fridge and I need something warm, quick, and relatively healthy, porridge is the perfect option. Top it with fruit, nut butter, maple syrup, honey, chopped nuts, shaved coconut, cacao nibs, sprinkles, or even granola if one form of oats just isn’t enough. Whether in baked goods, pancakes, or porridge, oats are a great source of fiber and antioxidants and make for a nutritious and filling meal at any time of the day.
- Canned Chickpeas
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Priced at just 55p from Tesco, there is no excuse not to always have a can or two of chickpeas on hand. If you’re not feeling fancy enough to use them for homemade hummus, they make an excellent protein-filled addition to salads and soups or vegetarian curries. Alternatively, douse them in olive oil and spices (see #3) and pop them in the oven at 220°C for 15 minutes for a crispy, moreish snack.
- Cumin
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Don’t be afraid of its off-putting smell that firmly resembles body odour. In my opinion, cumin is the KING of spices. Experiment by dumping it in scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, meat marinades, salad dressings, curries, chilli, or my personal favourite, shakshuka. Besides adding a little something special to a dish that needs more flavour, it’s blood-sugar-regulating and anti-inflammatory properties are also a plus.
- Rice Cakes
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This is a bit of a rogue one, but the purpose here is to use the rice cake as a vehicle for some exciting toppings. Some of my favourite combinations are: almond butter, banana, honey and cinnamon; cream cheese, smoked salmon and red onion; avocado, lemon juice and red pepper flakes; hummus, tomato and flakey sea salt; brie, honey and thinly sliced apple. If you’re not a rice cake fan, oatcakes or sourdough crackers are also a great option — just please no overly-processed sliced white bread or you’ll send my Italian grandmother rolling in her grave.
- Peanut Butter
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I’ve saved the best for last, my friends. I’ll admit that my deep-rooted obsession with peanut butter expands far beyond that of the average person, but it does make a nutritious and delicious addition to sauces, cookies, and smoothies, or topping for toast, ice cream, celery, apples, a spoon, or … a slice of salami. Don’t come at me until you try it.
Selecting only five of my favourite go-to ingredients feels like how I imagine my mum feels when my sister and I ask who her favourite child is (it’s me, obviously). But these are the five that I find myself reaching for most often and incorporating into pretty much everything I eat. I recommend that you too keep a few healthy staples in your cupboard, and you might be surprised at how far they’ll take you beyond the simple pleasure of pasta with tomato sauce.