刚刚入学的大学生会遇见不少新挑战，特别是当你第一次离开父母，一个人生活的时候。其中，最大的挑战就是喂饱我们的肚子了：没父母的照料，你天天吃那些？你会干什么菜？这类都是需要考虑的问题。
Starting at university or college can be a big challenge, especially if youre living away from home for the first time. Youre faced with big questions such as, Whos going to do my washing? Whos going to tidy my room? And, most importantly, How am I going to eat? Yes, living on your own means you have to cook for yourself, and when youre living a student lifestyle, this could be a recipe for disaster.
Students, in the UK at least, often rely on staples1 such as baked beans or cheese on toast. And for the more adventurous2, theres spag bol spaghetti bolognaise - a budget-friendly bowl of minced3 beef cooked in a tomato sauce, served on a bed of spaghetti. If you make a huge pan of it, you can probably make it last a whole week! Other low-cosplayt options include jar sauces and oven pizzas.
Recently, a British supermarket suggested that rose harissa paste, organic cider vinegar and Swiss bouillon powder were the essential ingredients needed for the student store cupboard. But are these items considered essential and affordable4 for someone on a budget?
Catrin Stewart is 20 and in her final year at the University of Manchester and is currently food editor of the student paper. She told BBC News that Im in a unique position Im in a house of eight people and six are vegan. We have to be quite inventive with our food. We have lots of Asian influences, lots of experimenting. Another student, Eleanor, is vegetarian5 and finds this meat-free food easier and less expensive.
Living on a limited budget is certainly one obstacle to eating a well-balanced diet some young people also have limited culinary expertise6 and besides, there are more fun things to go and do than stay at home and cook, thats why many students survive on takeaways and microwave meals.
But what should a health-conscious student really have in his or her food cupboard? Jack7 Monroe, a food writer and campaigner, has some advice: baked beans, stuffing, lemon juice, tinned tomatoes and tomato ketchup8, described as salt, sugar, vinegar and tomato all in one handy squeezy bottle. And if that doesnt appeal, you can always wait until you visit mum and dad for a slap-up meal!
