Smart Weekly Meal Planner Tips for Busy Uni Students

My daughter is a Uni student away from home. Only recently, she confessed that she is eating a lot of salads with tinned tuna (cheap and easy, I guess), which made me think a lot. Tinned tuna is ok only from now and then, not certainly every day! In fact, it contains levels of pollutants, like methylmercury and microplastics, which unfortunately are present in the sea. In general, the levels of those pollutants are considered safe for most people when consumed in moderation.

So, I decided to sort of regulate a smart weekly planner with tips for her and other busy students with the objective to make them save money and time, though eating well and better balanced.

I hope you like my Smart Weekly Meal Planner!

Shop Smart in Bulk for your Weekly Meal Planner

• Cook rice, pasta, or grains at the start of the week in batches.

• Use frozen vegetables and tinned beans for convenience and savings.

• If you can buy in a smart bulk on weekly basis or when possible (oats, rice, pasta): it's always much cheaper.

• Don't forget to buy seasonings: salt, pepper, mixed herbs, stock cubes. They will give give your food the real taste of food!

• Don't throw away your leftovers: it can become the next day’s lunch and indeed a Smart Weekly Meal Planner

Smart Weekly Meal Planner Table

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Monday	Porridge with banana	Egg mayo sandwich, side salad	Vegetable stir fry with noodles	Fruit, yoghurt
Tuesday	Toast with peanut butter	Leftover stir fry	Chilli con carne (mince or lentils) with rice	Carrot sticks, apple
Wednesday	Overnight oats with frozen berries	Chilli rice bowl	Simple pasta (tomato sauce, cheese, veg)	Crackers, hummus
Thursday	Cereal & milk	Pasta salad with tinned tuna, sweetcorn	Oven-baked fish fingers, chips, peas	Banana, cereal bar
Friday	Toast with jam	Leftover pasta salad	Curry (chickpea or chicken) with rice	Fruit, popcorn
Saturday	Porridge with honey	Jacket potato with beans & cheese	Homemade pizza (pitta bread base, tomato, cheese, veg)	Yoghurt, grapes
Sunday	Egg on toast	Soup (tinned or homemade) & bread	Roast chicken (or veggie option), potatoes, mixed veg	Rice cakes, orange

Shopping List for your Smart Weekly Meal Planner

Be smart and use this weekly meal planner and save time spent cooking.

• Oats, cereal, bread, rice, pasta, noodles, potatoes

• Eggs, tinned tuna, fish fingers, chicken (or veggie protein), cheese, yoghurt, milk

• Tinned beans, chickpeas, sweetcorn, tomatoes

• Mixed frozen vegetables, peas, salad, carrots, bananas, apples, oranges, grapes

• Basic condiments: butter/spread, peanut butter, jam, tomato sauce

• Herbs, spices, stock cubes

Shopping for Healthy Meals with this Smart Weekly Meal Planner

Time-Saving & Budget Tips Smart Weekly Meal Planner

Here you will find few more Smart tips to use your Weekly Meal Planner

• Cook double portions for dinner and save leftovers for lunch.

• Use a slow cooker or rice cooker if available for “set-and-forget” meals.

• Plan meals around supermarket offers and own-brand products.

• Keep snacks simple and portable for days on campus.

Smart Weekly Meal Planner and Buon Appetito!

Sticking to a simple and smart weekly meal planner like this saves money and time, while ensuring a balanced diet. Don’t hesitate to swap meals for personal taste or use what’s already in your cupboard. Be Smart! Buon Appetito.