The Ultimate Student Food Guide: Recipes, Meal Boxes & Cooking Tips for Your Nexa Kitchen
Moving to University is exciting – new friends, new routines, and (finally!) your own space to cook up whatever you like. At Nexa Living, we know how important it is for students to have a home that make life easier – and that starts with great kitchens. Every Nexa Living house comes fully furnished with modern kitchens, complete with all the essentials - hob, oven, fridge-freezer, microwave, kettle, toaster, coffee machine, pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, even weighing scales! So, whether you’re batch cooking for the week or throwing together a late-night snack after lectures, you’ve got everything you need right at your fingertips.
We’ve put together 10 of our favourite, student-friendly meal ideas that are quick, affordable and easy to make in your Nexa kitchen. Followed by some bonus tips and student friendly meal subscriptions.
Mix pork and beef mince in this easy spaghetti Bolognese that also has a splash of red wine and plenty of garlic for a filling, home cooked meal.
Recipe: BBC Good Food
2. Quick and Easy Chicken Stir Fry
A student staple. This recipe only takes around 15 minutes and is super versatile. Swap chicken for beef, pork, mushrooms or tofu.
Recipe: Save the Student
The famous Gigi Hadid vodka pasta recipe which went viral in 2020. It uses super cheap staples and an ingredient you probably already have lying around…
Recipe: Beat the Budget
This one-pot recipe is super easy and saves on time and washing up! Batch-cook and freeze for busy days.
Recipe: Alexandra Cooks
Requires no cooking in the morning. Cheap, nutritious, and sets you up for lectures.
6. One– tray Halloumi and Roasted Veg Wraps
This recipe requires little effort and can be prepped in advance for lunches or post-lecture snacks. Serve with hummus or a yogurt sauce.
Recipe: MyProtein
Impress flatmates with these foolproof pancakes, using only4 ingredients. Perfect for a weekend brunch.
Recipe: BBC Good Food
You can easily batch cook a large amount of chilli and store it in the fridge or freezer for the week ahead. Meaning less cooking, less washing up, and more time for lectures (or Netflix…). Also uses cheap, everyday ingredients.
Recipe: Jamie Oliver
Comes together with just a handful of ingredients and requires no cooking. Super cheap to make and keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. Works for lunch, dinner or meal prep. Add tuna, chickpeas, avocado, or cooked pasta to make it more filling.
Recipe: Simple Joy
10. Roast Dinner
A roast might sound like a big deal, but the SPG have put together this cheap, fool proof roast dinner plan, which serves 6 – ideal for feeding the crowd! There’s something about roast potatoes, gravy, and good company that makes Sunday in your Nexa Living kitchen feel cosy and comforting. And the best part? Leftovers mean lunch for the next day, saving you both time and money.
Recipe: The Student Pocket Guide
Bonus Student Kitchen & Food Budget Tips
- Use your fully furnished kitchen: Since your Nexa Living flat includes cookware and utensils, you don’t need to buy everything. Just get the ingredients and go.
- Batch-cook and freeze: Use Sunday afternoon to cook double portions, freeze the extras — great for exam weeks.
- Split costs with flatmates: Buy large bags of frozen veg, big tubs of yoghurt, shared sauces — splitting cost means you each save.
- Stock pantry essentials: Tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, pasta, frozen vegetables, garlic/onion, yoghurt/cream cheese — these allow you to whip up something fast.
- Meal-kit and ready-meal subscriptions: When you’re really busy (or want a treat), these can help. See the next section.
Student-Friendly Meal Subscriptions & Online Recipe Resources
Here are some great online tools to make student cooking even easier:
Online Recipe Resource – Emily English
Nutritionist Emily English offers accessible meal-plans and recipe guides — including one titled “Eating Well On A Budget”. Her guide supports batch-cooking, flexible protein sources (meat/veg), and realistic student-friendly meals.
If you like the idea of following a structured plan, her PDF plan Eating Well On A Budget and other guides are useful. Emily English Nutrition
Meal-Kit / SubscriptionServices (student-friendly)
- HelloFresh – One of the better-known recipe-box services in the UK. Right now, they are offering 50% off first box + free dessert for 3 months via with UNiDAYS!
- Gousto – Also listed among “best food subscription boxes for students” in the UK. StudentBeans are offering 55% off your first box, and 30% off your next 3 boxes + 10% off for the rest of the 12 month discount period!
- Prep Kitchen – Offering fresh, high-protein, chef- cooked meals that can go from fridge to fork in just a few minutes. Currently offering 40% off and then 20% for 4 weeks! (Tried and tested at Nexa HQ…)
- The Good Prep – High-quality, chef-prepared ready meals delivered to your door; good if you have limited time. The Good Prep
Ready to start your student cooking journey?
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