Cooking at university

Eating well is good for your mental health as well as your physical health. At some point during you time at Uni it is likely that you will have to spend time planning, preparing and cooking your own meals. Some people really relish the freedom to choose what they eat but for others it can become a chore and possibly a bit overwhelming. There are many useful resources where you can find tried and tested, easy, quick recipes which, together with a few basic pieces of kitchen equipment, can quickly have you conjuring up some tasty meals from scratch.

Research has shown that eating together fosters positive mental health by building strong social connections, reducing loneliness, and enhancing emotional wellbeing. So why not offer to cook for one or more of your flatmates, or just arrange to eat your own meals together at the same time?

To help get you started on what could become a new interest or even passion for food, here are some tips on what equipment you should have, what to keep in your food cupboards, where you can buy your food and links to recipe sites:

What kitchen essentials do I need?

• UK Student Houses provides a list of All The Kitchen Essentials You Need To Buy For Your Uni Home.
• Save the Student provides a list of store cupboard essentials that can help you rustle up some tasty meals when you haven’t time to go shopping.

Where can I buy groceries in Cambridge?

• Sainsbury’s Sidney Street Superstore 
• Tesco Express Unit 5&6 Christ’s Lane
• Aldi, Histon Road, Arbury

World foods/specialist ingredients

• Midan World Foods, 18-20 Histon road
• J & M Oriental Supermarket, 185 Histon Road

Recipe Ideas

• Uni Compare has some easy student recipe suggestions including Homemade Pot Noodle!
• The Student Food Project is one of the world’s leading student recipe websites with hundreds of tested recipes, and interesting food related articles. You can even sign up to have recipes regularly delivered to your inbox.
• BBC Food has a section specifically for students!

And don’t forget to read the email, with more information around food, from Fiona Simon, Trinity Hall’s Director of Conference and Catering.

Remember, cooking can be fun, bon appétit!