How to stay naturally healthy at university

Maddy McKennaon 15 February 2021
Woman smiling stood in a sunflower field

Wondering how to stay healthy at university when there's no vitamin D to be found? Never fear, we've got the tips for you.

If you’re worried about making friends or staying on top of coursework, your health can end up taking a backseat. Wires get crossed, your balanced diet goes out the window, and all of a sudden it’s 3AM and you’re tucking into a Pot Noodle. While this is alright occasionally, frequently malnourishing yourself will affect your social skills and uni work.

We know living well is difficult, especially during the winter months when natural light is sparse. Here are some ways to maintain a healthy active lifestyle without buying supplements:

Plan your meals

Meal planning has two benefits; as well as balancing your diet, it’s a great way of saving some extra cash. To begin with, grab a pen and paper and think about your favourite meals.

Use a student cookbook, BBC Good Food, or Pinterest or ask your pals if you need some inspo. The key to success is variety; the more colours you can get on your plate, the more nutritious the meal is. Avoid beige at all costs!

Sourcing your recipes at the start of the week is an easy way to curb reckless spending at the supermarket and ensure you eat well at university. 

Eat your 5 a day

It sounds like a tired cliche that parents use to feed you vegetables, but this one is really important.

Try and keep some of your favourite fruit and veg in the fridge, so that when you’re peckish during the day, you can trick yourself into having a banana instead of a brownie. If you’re worried about your fruit and veg going off before you can eat it, try in bulk to share with flatmates.

Cook in batches

Batch cooking goes hand in hand with meal planning. Not got enough time to cook on top of uni work and social commitments? Batch cooking could be the answer. 

The only thing you’ll need is a few Tupperware containers. You could either cook three different meals in one day and freeze them for the week, or simply make double every time you cook. You can keep pasta, risotto, fajitas, and stir-fries in the fridge for a couple of days. Curries, soups, and stews can be frozen for months on end.

Be sure to include lots of healthy veggies in your meals (remember what we said about the more colours the better?).

Have your speciality recipes

Don’t just rely on takeaways and pasta. Although Domino’s might make your taste buds tremble, those greasy feasts will not give you all the vitamins you need to live healthily. Have three or four go-to recipes for when you’re not feeling inventive and always top up supplies of their ingredients. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out these simple recipes.

Remember, cooking doesn’t have to be boring. Make food with flatmates, watch TV or play music to make it fun.

What’s your go-to recipe? Join our panel today and let us know; you’ll get 1000 reward points when you sign up.

Maddy McKennaon 15 February 2021