Let’s start by saying, welcome to the UEA! It feels like home here for all of us and it soon will be for you too. It can be a massive lifestyle change to start off with, but you will soon get used to it, once you’ve got your head around the launderettes! To all our freshers, who have made the big leap to leaving home and moving out, we have your backs with this one, no need to worry about the cooking.  

To kick things off, let this be an ode to all of the staples that us uni kids can’t live without.   

Number one – baked beans! Who doesn’t love one of their five a day, disguised as a nostalgic British staple!   

Number two – instant noodles. They are full of flavor, wholesome, and kind on the budget.   

Number three – ready meals, the availability and selection these days is unprecedented, you can walk into any supermarket and very quickly and easily find yourself 5 meals for the week from mac and cheese to fish and chips. However, these are not so kind to your budget, as they have increased in price as of late (along with everything else), and now range between £2.50-£5, which would add up over the long term.   

Last, but not least – the humble slice of toast. Now this can be a ‘girl dinner’ with plenty of butter and no pimp, but it can also be arranged with a staple number one, such as the classic baked beans, eggs, cheese or any of your favorite spreads!  

Now, all these staples aside, let’s talk cooking and dishes. To start off with you may just want to cook for yourself and prepare your own meals until you get to know your housemates. The best thing to do is keep it simple and pick yourself a protein, carbs and some veg.   

Some of my favorite dinner proteins are fish cakes and breaded fillets, grilled chicken or fajita spiced chicken, omelettes or sausages. Some of the easiest though is a different story and depends on which appliance you find easiest to use. Some of your basic carbs are noodles, rice and potatoes, and the easiest way to prepare them is to boil them. Takes 5 minutes, and with popping some butter and salt on them finishes them off overly. Then for your veggies, without getting adventurous, steam or roast some peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, or make a bit of a salad with romaine lettuce and some cherry tomatoes, dressed with a dash of olive oil and balsamic vinegarette.  

After that very brief guide, let’s just disclaim that YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok are fully saturated with recipes and ideas, don’t forget to use them! It keeps things exciting and varied and can help you plan your meals.   

Which brings us on to the next point of getting organized and being able to do one food shop a week by planning what you’re going to have or need. You can keep this simple and just map out your proteins, carbs and veggies so you can plan meals out accordingly.  

Finally, if you and your roommates are getting on sunny then just club together and either share the load or take on a night each. There’s nothing better than being able to share good food and it also means you’ll be able to take on more exciting things as you aren’t making one portion. And remember, as with anything new you need the space to learn. Don’t be afraid to overcook the chicken, burn the veggies in the oven or mess things up… that’s what Uber and Deliveroo are for!  

Feature photo credited to Wikimedia Commons