Weekly Food Shop Inspo Series
Deciding what on meals to make each week cost effectively can be difficult, so I previously made a post with tips and and a weekly food shop list and meal ideas for £25!! Weekly Food Shop Inspo - The Student Room
I thought I would continue the series with another weekly shopping list and more tips!!
There are lots of great recipes on Instagram that I use for inspiration. Some of my favourite accounts are:
@cardiff.mum (does 5 family meals for £25)
@livthepositivefooodie (solo meals/cooking)
@thebatchlady (great batch cooking ideas, especially for the freezer)
@emthenutritionist
@ellena_fit
@alexskitchenbangers
Tip: You do not have to buy all the ingredients in the recipes! They work just fine with less ingredients. Plus, you can swap ingredients so they are items you can use in other meals to cut costs.
Weekly Meals
Monday - Garlic chicken, potatoes and broccoli
Tuesday - Chicken and chorizo pasta
Wednesday- spaghetti bolognaise (freezer)
Thursday – sausage, mash, broccoli and gravy
Friday - full English (sausage, egg, beans, potato waffle, toast)
Saturday - chilli and rice (from freezer)
Sunday – Chorizo loaded Fries
Tip: if you search for these meals on Instagram/TikTok you will find a recipe. BBC good foods website is also great.
Breakfast - Porridge, honey and cinnamon/Greek yogurt, honey and fruit
Lunch – Cheese Sandwich’s/Egg on toast
Meat
•
Chicken £3.99
•
Sausages £1.79
•
Chorizo £1.89
•
Potatoes £1.65
•
Onion 95p
•
Pepper 70p
•
Garlic cloves 88p
•
Broccoli 79p
•
Double cream £1.25
•
Cheese £2.79
•
Greek yogurt 95p
•
Rice £1.79
•
Pasta 41p
•
Eggs £1.75
•
Beans 27p
•
Bread £1.09
•
Potato waffles £1.45
•
Frozen chips £1.35
Disclaimers
I have not included any snacks on this shopping list and I have also left the following off the list that I would usually already have such as:
•
Spices, seasoning and stock cubes
•
Sauces/Gravy
•
Frozen fruit
•
Butter
•
Oats
The prices are based off Aldi
I hope this gives you some inspo and feel free to share your tips or shopping list below
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Reply 1
Deciding what on meals to make each week cost effectively can be difficult, so I previously made a post with tips and and a weekly food shop list and meal ideas for £25!! Weekly Food Shop Inspo - The Student Room
I thought I would continue the series with another weekly shopping list and more tips!!
There are lots of great recipes on Instagram that I use for inspiration. Some of my favourite accounts are:
@cardiff.mum (does 5 family meals for £25)
@livthepositivefooodie (solo meals/cooking)
@thebatchlady (great batch cooking ideas, especially for the freezer)
@emthenutritionist
@ellena_fit
@alexskitchenbangers
Tip: You do not have to buy all the ingredients in the recipes! They work just fine with less ingredients. Plus, you can swap ingredients so they are items you can use in other meals to cut costs.
Weekly Meals
Monday - Garlic chicken, potatoes and broccoli
Tuesday - Chicken and chorizo pasta
Wednesday- spaghetti bolognaise (freezer)
Thursday – sausage, mash, broccoli and gravy
Friday - full English (sausage, egg, beans, potato waffle, toast)
Saturday - chilli and rice (from freezer)
Sunday – Chorizo loaded Fries
Tip: if you search for these meals on Instagram/TikTok you will find a recipe. BBC good foods website is also great.
Breakfast - Porridge, honey and cinnamon/Greek yogurt, honey and fruit
Lunch – Cheese Sandwich’s/Egg on toast
Meat
•
Chicken £3.99
•
Sausages £1.79
•
Chorizo £1.89
•
Potatoes £1.65
•
Onion 95p
•
Pepper 70p
•
Garlic cloves 88p
•
Broccoli 79p
•
Double cream £1.25
•
Cheese £2.79
•
Greek yogurt 95p
•
Rice £1.79
•
Pasta 41p
•
Eggs £1.75
•
Beans 27p
•
Bread £1.09
•
Potato waffles £1.45
•
Frozen chips £1.35
Disclaimers
I have not included any snacks on this shopping list and I have also left the following off the list that I would usually already have such as:
•
Spices, seasoning and stock cubes
•
Sauces/Gravy
•
Frozen fruit
•
Butter
•
Oats
The prices are based off Aldi
I hope this gives you some inspo and feel free to share your tips or shopping list below
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Hi there! I love the variation in your meals for the week! I admit my list is chicken based but still different meals!
here is my shopping list:
Roast chicken- £4.79 (Aldi and Lidl)
1 Leek- 60p
1kg of onions- 99p
2 heads of Broccoli- 1.08
Chicken stock cubes – 1.09
Cabbage- 79p
Stuffing- 39p
1kg penne pasta- £1
1 jar passata- 39p
1 cream cheese- 55p
Gravy- 69p
1kg carrots- 44p
1.5kg potatoes- 1.70
Chicken seasoning- 99p
1 large tin of sweetcorn- 60p
BBQ sauce- 55p
Mayo- 55p
Bonus it only costs £17.19
I then made:
•
Roast chicken dinner
•
breaded stuffing chicken fillets with mash and assorted veg
•
Salt and pepper chicken bbq mayo pasta for lunches
•
Tomato and cream cheese pasta bake for dinner
•
the odd chicken sandwich using the leftovers!
Same as you said things like gravy, mayo, bbq- all left over for next time!
I can't wait to hear other peoples meal ideas
LJMU student ambassador- Sarah
Reply 2
here is my shopping list:
Roast chicken- £4.79 (Aldi and Lidl)
1 Leek- 60p
1kg of onions- 99p
2 heads of Broccoli- 1.08
Chicken stock cubes – 1.09
Cabbage- 79p
Stuffing- 39p
1kg penne pasta- £1
1 jar passata- 39p
1 cream cheese- 55p
Gravy- 69p
1kg carrots- 44p
1.5kg potatoes- 1.70
Chicken seasoning- 99p
1 large tin of sweetcorn- 60p
BBQ sauce- 55p
Mayo- 55p
Bonus it only costs £17.19
I then made:
•
Roast chicken dinner
•
breaded stuffing chicken fillets with mash and assorted veg
•
Salt and pepper chicken bbq mayo pasta for lunches
•
Tomato and cream cheese pasta bake for dinner
•
the odd chicken sandwich using the leftovers!
Same as you said things like gravy, mayo, bbq- all left over for next time!
I can't wait to hear other peoples meal ideas
LJMU student ambassador- Sarah
Hi @LJMUStudentReps
Thanks for sharing this great list, very inspiring!
Getting a roast chicken is such a good idea, plus very cost effective. I will definitely be trying this
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Reply 3
Deciding what on meals to make each week cost effectively can be difficult, so I previously made a post with tips and and a weekly food shop list and meal ideas for £25!! Weekly Food Shop Inspo - The Student Room
I thought I would continue the series with another weekly shopping list and more tips!!
There are lots of great recipes on Instagram that I use for inspiration. Some of my favourite accounts are:
@cardiff.mum (does 5 family meals for £25)
@livthepositivefooodie (solo meals/cooking)
@thebatchlady (great batch cooking ideas, especially for the freezer)
@emthenutritionist
@ellena_fit
@alexskitchenbangers
Tip: You do not have to buy all the ingredients in the recipes! They work just fine with less ingredients. Plus, you can swap ingredients so they are items you can use in other meals to cut costs.
Weekly Meals
Monday - Garlic chicken, potatoes and broccoli
Tuesday - Chicken and chorizo pasta
Wednesday- spaghetti bolognaise (freezer)
Thursday – sausage, mash, broccoli and gravy
Friday - full English (sausage, egg, beans, potato waffle, toast)
Saturday - chilli and rice (from freezer)
Sunday – Chorizo loaded Fries
Tip: if you search for these meals on Instagram/TikTok you will find a recipe. BBC good foods website is also great.
Breakfast - Porridge, honey and cinnamon/Greek yogurt, honey and fruit
Lunch – Cheese Sandwich’s/Egg on toast
Meat
•
Chicken £3.99
•
Sausages £1.79
•
Chorizo £1.89
•
Potatoes £1.65
•
Onion 95p
•
Pepper 70p
•
Garlic cloves 88p
•
Broccoli 79p
•
Double cream £1.25
•
Cheese £2.79
•
Greek yogurt 95p
•
Rice £1.79
•
Pasta 41p
•
Eggs £1.75
•
Beans 27p
•
Bread £1.09
•
Potato waffles £1.45
•
Frozen chips £1.35
Disclaimers
I have not included any snacks on this shopping list and I have also left the following off the list that I would usually already have such as:
•
Spices, seasoning and stock cubes
•
Sauces/Gravy
•
Frozen fruit
•
Butter
•
Oats
The prices are based off Aldi
I hope this gives you some inspo and feel free to share your tips or shopping list below
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Hiya! Love the meal inspo, as a very lazy cook I wanted to share the sorts of meals I often have at uni for a slightly different perspective 😂 Altogether my weekly food shop tends to be between £25-35.
I’d like to get more into cooking so will definitely have a look at those accounts you shared, but at the moment I’m a big fan of easy meals for example:
•
Wraps! These are super customisable and can also be pretty cheap - plus they’re a good thing to take up to campus for lunch. Love the whole roast chicken idea shared by @LJMUStudentReps as this would be a super easy thing to add to a wrap or pitta with extras like cheese, hummus and veggies which aren’t too expensive and can be used for snacks too
•
Pesto pasta is of course a uni classic and I like to throw a handful of spinach, frozen peas or broccoli in just to boost the nutritional value a bit
•
Pasta with ready made tomato sauce plus a tin of tuna added in at the end and some grated cheese on top
•
A can of soup with some buttered toast - soup cans are a great cheap option for a lazy meal, I shop at Sainsbury’s and usually grab 1-2 per week for less than a pound each
•
The iconic British staple of beans on toast! Uses up some more bread and grated cheese and I find it a lovely easy comfort meal after a long day at uni
•
Sausages I can just throw in the oven, with some frozen chips and veg of choice
•
Stir fry with microwave rice which can use up any extra veg you might have in the fridge and is really easy to elevate with some garlic and ginger, soy sauce, chillies and coriander
•
Yogurt bowl with frozen or fresh fruit, granola, and a bit of honey for a sweet option
•
Sheet pan nachos - an easy one pan meal with little cleanup
I do cook more inspired meals when I can, but sometimes when it gets busy you might just need a simple but still nutritious option with minimal prep! Hopefully my lazy meal ideas might come in handy for some of you
Bella
University of Exeter Student Ambassador
Reply 4
Deciding what on meals to make each week cost effectively can be difficult, so I previously made a post with tips and and a weekly food shop list and meal ideas for £25!! Weekly Food Shop Inspo - The Student Room
I thought I would continue the series with another weekly shopping list and more tips!!
There are lots of great recipes on Instagram that I use for inspiration. Some of my favourite accounts are:
@cardiff.mum (does 5 family meals for £25)
@livthepositivefooodie (solo meals/cooking)
@thebatchlady (great batch cooking ideas, especially for the freezer)
@emthenutritionist
@ellena_fit
@alexskitchenbangers
Tip: You do not have to buy all the ingredients in the recipes! They work just fine with less ingredients. Plus, you can swap ingredients so they are items you can use in other meals to cut costs.
Weekly Meals
Monday - Garlic chicken, potatoes and broccoli
Tuesday - Chicken and chorizo pasta
Wednesday- spaghetti bolognaise (freezer)
Thursday – sausage, mash, broccoli and gravy
Friday - full English (sausage, egg, beans, potato waffle, toast)
Saturday - chilli and rice (from freezer)
Sunday – Chorizo loaded Fries
Tip: if you search for these meals on Instagram/TikTok you will find a recipe. BBC good foods website is also great.
Breakfast - Porridge, honey and cinnamon/Greek yogurt, honey and fruit
Lunch – Cheese Sandwich’s/Egg on toast
Meat
•
Chicken £3.99
•
Sausages £1.79
•
Chorizo £1.89
•
Potatoes £1.65
•
Onion 95p
•
Pepper 70p
•
Garlic cloves 88p
•
Broccoli 79p
•
Double cream £1.25
•
Cheese £2.79
•
Greek yogurt 95p
•
Rice £1.79
•
Pasta 41p
•
Eggs £1.75
•
Beans 27p
•
Bread £1.09
•
Potato waffles £1.45
•
Frozen chips £1.35
Disclaimers
I have not included any snacks on this shopping list and I have also left the following off the list that I would usually already have such as:
•
Spices, seasoning and stock cubes
•
Sauces/Gravy
•
Frozen fruit
•
Butter
•
Oats
The prices are based off Aldi
I hope this gives you some inspo and feel free to share your tips or shopping list below
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Hi Grace!
This is a great list, and I will have a look at some of the accounts you have mentioned for food inspiration as I am quite bad at thinking of/looking for new meal ideas!
I just thought I could add an example of a weekly meal plan and food shop that I might do while at uni:
Monday - Pesto pasta
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Jacket potato, tuna, cheese and beans (maybe controversial!)
Thursday - Stir fry to use up leftovers
Friday - chilli from the freezer
Saturday - Easy freezer tea
Sunday - Sausage and mash
For breakfast, I like toast or weetabix
For lunch, I like a cheese and tuna or cheese an chorizo bagel! If I am at home I also like scrambled egg on toast but bagels are a must for me on a uni day.
The one thing I would say is don't be afraid to eat the same thing twice in a week if it means you use up your leftovers. I know it is a bit more boring, but sometimes I just want to eat the food rather than freezing it so I will just eat it more than once that week!
Example food shop at Aldi:
•
Sourdough loaf
•
Bagels
•
Cheese
•
Tuna
•
Pesto
•
Chicken
•
Stir fry veg mix
•
Jacket potato x2
•
4 pack of beans
•
Chips
•
Fish fingers
•
Sausages
I think this is everything - I always have rice & pasta in my cupboards, as well as herbs, spices & soy sauce, hoisin to make a stir fry sauce! I like an easy tea but I will definitely try and branch out and try some of the great things people here have suggested, or look at some new food accounts for inspiration!
Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂
Reply 5
I’d like to get more into cooking so will definitely have a look at those accounts you shared, but at the moment I’m a big fan of easy meals for example:
•
Wraps! These are super customisable and can also be pretty cheap - plus they’re a good thing to take up to campus for lunch. Love the whole roast chicken idea shared by @LJMUStudentReps as this would be a super easy thing to add to a wrap or pitta with extras like cheese, hummus and veggies which aren’t too expensive and can be used for snacks too
•
Pesto pasta is of course a uni classic and I like to throw a handful of spinach, frozen peas or broccoli in just to boost the nutritional value a bit
•
Pasta with ready made tomato sauce plus a tin of tuna added in at the end and some grated cheese on top
•
A can of soup with some buttered toast - soup cans are a great cheap option for a lazy meal, I shop at Sainsbury’s and usually grab 1-2 per week for less than a pound each
•
The iconic British staple of beans on toast! Uses up some more bread and grated cheese and I find it a lovely easy comfort meal after a long day at uni
•
Sausages I can just throw in the oven, with some frozen chips and veg of choice
•
Stir fry with microwave rice which can use up any extra veg you might have in the fridge and is really easy to elevate with some garlic and ginger, soy sauce, chillies and coriander
•
Yogurt bowl with frozen or fresh fruit, granola, and a bit of honey for a sweet option
•
Sheet pan nachos - an easy one pan meal with little cleanup
I do cook more inspired meals when I can, but sometimes when it gets busy you might just need a simple but still nutritious option with minimal prep! Hopefully my lazy meal ideas might come in handy for some of you
Bella
University of Exeter Student Ambassador
Hi @ExeterStudentRep
These are fab, thanks for sharing!
I will definitely be taking inspiration when I get to 3rd year and have no free time left 😭
Love the stir fry to use up ingredients! Also cheese being a staple ingredient in many of these meals, it is definitely essential for students to have in the fridge and goes a long way
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Reply 6
This is a great list, and I will have a look at some of the accounts you have mentioned for food inspiration as I am quite bad at thinking of/looking for new meal ideas!
I just thought I could add an example of a weekly meal plan and food shop that I might do while at uni:
Monday - Pesto pasta
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Jacket potato, tuna, cheese and beans (maybe controversial!)
Thursday - Stir fry to use up leftovers
Friday - chilli from the freezer
Saturday - Easy freezer tea
Sunday - Sausage and mash
For breakfast, I like toast or weetabix
For lunch, I like a cheese and tuna or cheese an chorizo bagel! If I am at home I also like scrambled egg on toast but bagels are a must for me on a uni day.
The one thing I would say is don't be afraid to eat the same thing twice in a week if it means you use up your leftovers. I know it is a bit more boring, but sometimes I just want to eat the food rather than freezing it so I will just eat it more than once that week!
Example food shop at Aldi:
•
Sourdough loaf
•
Bagels
•
Cheese
•
Tuna
•
Pesto
•
Chicken
•
Stir fry veg mix
•
Jacket potato x2
•
4 pack of beans
•
Chips
•
Fish fingers
•
Sausages
I think this is everything - I always have rice & pasta in my cupboards, as well as herbs, spices & soy sauce, hoisin to make a stir fry sauce! I like an easy tea but I will definitely try and branch out and try some of the great things people here have suggested, or look at some new food accounts for inspiration!
Lucy -SHU student ambassador 🙂
Hi @hallamstudents
This is a great list!
Love a jacket potato, I am on your side with that topping combination
You have reminded me how good bagels are, I'm now going to get them next week!
Also so true, eating the same meal throughout the week can be so cost efficient and time saving 🤩
Thanks for sharing,
-Grace (Kingston Rep)
Reply 7
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