Have no time to cook meals? Almost broke? Need to save on food? Experiencing these situations is very common amongst university students, especially Waterloo students near the end of the term since we’ve spent so many living expenses on rent, tuition and textbooks. Unfortunately, that results in most of us trying to save on food and groceries to balance the rest of the budget. Even though some of us wish we could cook our meals, exam season and assignments usually end up taking all of our spare time away. In that case, I decided to come up with a list of meals you can make for under $5 that are – decently – filling. Although they probably won’t stuff you, they’re enough to keep you not hungry throughout your classes until dinner time comes around. Most of these are available at Tim Hortons because their food is the most affordable
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Tim Hortons list:
1. Small chilli and a white or whole wheat bun ($4.29)
For only $4.95, you get a decent bowl of chilli and your choice of a bun. It’s moderately filling, pretty tasty and somewhat nutritious (there’s mushrooms and beans). So far, it’s the only meal that I haven’t got sick of yet.
2. Toasted bagel with butter and loaded wedges ($4.95)
This meal is moderately filling, decently tasty but pretty much junk food. If you need something fast to eat between classes, this is probably your go-to
3. Chicken salad croissant($4.79)
This is probably the healthiest sandwich Tim Hortons has. Although it isn’t as tasty as the other sandwiches, if you’re trying to eat healthy, but be decently full, this is probably your best bet. It contains the most vegetables of all the sandwiches and the chicken is a salad.
4. Crispy chicken sandwich ($4.99)
This sandwich is semi-healthy with more flavour than the chicken salad one. It’s definitely more filling and larger in size. If you want to get full, and eat something rather flavourful, you should get the crispy chicken sandwich.
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Pizza Pizza
 All of Pizza Pizza’s basic and signature pizzas are priced from $3-$4 in the cafeteria at the SLC, so if you’re hungry and craving pizza, grab a slice for less than $5.
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Subway
All six-inch subs are priced for less than $5, so if you’re looking to try and eat healthier, go with Subway. You’ll be able to eat larger quantities of vegetables here than anywhere else. Plus, the toppings and choices at Subway are always fresh.
That’s it for meals under $5. If you have a suggestion about meals for students less than $5, comment them below and I shall taste test them!