Starting university after living at home for most of your life can be daunting – especially when you haven't quite mastered the art of learning to cook, and you don't have homemade dinners to look forward to every night. Here are 5 helpful tips that will teach you the basics of learning to cook which will help you save money as a student and give you that feeling of home.
1. Follow simple recipes
As a student, following simple recipes will ease you into cooking - there’s no point in following a recipe on how to make a three-course meal at first as you will just feel overwhelmed and attempt to give up. Begin with one pot meals where you are just focusing on one dish at once and will require less cleanup. This approach will save you both time and money while helping you build confidence in the kitchen whilst at university.
2. Master a few basic techniques
Learning basic techniques such as knife skills, sautéing, roasting, blanching, and boiling are a must. Having these basic skills will make learning to cook easier – you’ve built the foundation on the things you’ll need to know when learning to cook.
3. Plan meals and shop smart
Planning meals is the key to staying organised when cooking. Planning meals and shopping smart will ensure that you know what you are making before you buy ingredients, making sure that you buy what is necessary and you don’t waste any food. This will also help you stay within your budget and save money.
4. Season and taste as you go
Seasoning is the key to creating a well-made and tasty dish and by seasoning, we mean salt, herbs, and spices! Tasting as you go will ensure that you don't under or over season your meals, meaning that you will be able to season to your own taste and have a perfect meal every time.
5. Learn how to handle leftovers
Learning how to handle leftovers ensures that you are making the most of the dishes you cook – there is no point making your dinner and throwing away the leftovers that could feed you for a week as you are just wasting your money and time.
Instead, learn how to portion your food so you can efficiently and quickly reheat it for your lunch or dinner the next day, that way you are saving time on having to cook a meal every evening and are making the most of the ingredients you spent money on, saving you money.
These five tips will not only help you save money as a student but also save time, allowing you to focus more on your studies and applying for internship, placement or graduate roles – so take a look at our opportunities today.
