What your go-to student meal says about you

A lesser-known struggle of uni life: deciding what to have for dinner every day. It’s truly exhausting and most of us find ourselves rotating between the same three meals on a weekly basis. Every student is guaranteed to have at least one go-to meal they fall back on when they’re just too tired to make a decision after a long day of online uni (or scrolling through TikTok, no judgement). 

If your answer is any of the following, then here’s what that says about you.

Pasta

Probably the most typical student meal, and one that 99 per cent of us are guilty of having at least four days a week. It’s quick, easy, cheap and filling – what more could you want? It can be spiced up with all sorts of ingredients but let’s be real, the ultimate quick dinner is just pasta, sauce and cheese (extra points if you always have two jars of pesto ready in your cupboard for this exact scenario). 

If your go-to meal is pasta then congrats on being the most basic student around but at least you’re going to the effort of using the hob. 

Via @niamhcooks on Instagram

Takeaway

We’ve all been there, there is nothing more tempting than that Deliveroo icon after a long day. As soon as one of your housemates even mentions the thought of getting a Domino’s, you already know you’re fighting a losing battle with your self-restraint.

That being said, if you find yourself getting takeaways multiple times a week, you really need to learn how to cook – and if your go-to takeaway is a Nando’s, then God help your bank account.

Oven pizza

Choosing a supermarket pizza over a takeaway is definitely more financially responsible and your student loan will thank you for it, but really? A poor effort at “cooking”. If you find yourself popping into Tesco for a quick Margherita more than once a week, you really need to step your game up. 

Any sort of frozen food

Anything you can just stick in the oven is a respectable choice after a full day of Zoom seminars. Whether it’s nuggets, chips, garlic bread, or a meal-prepped Tupperware dish for the more organised amongst us, you deserve credit for making the most of what you’ve got.

Having food ready to go in the freezer is an achievement in itself, and if frozen food is your go-to then you might not be the greatest chef – but at least you’re trying your best.

A ready meal

Come on.

We admit – it’s a quick and easy choice every now and then, and can come in very useful. But if your go-to meal is a microwave lasagne or tinned curry PLEASE get some self-respect. They’re never that nice, they’re not that cheap and not hugely filling.

If a ready meal is your go-to, you’re definitely unorganised and probably lazy – sorry to break it to you but does this really come as a surprise? 

A meal cooked from scratch

Steady on Gordon Ramsay – knocking up a stir fry or a chilli from scratch might not seem too impressive, but if you’re doing all that on a regular basis in a student kitchen wow, hats off to you. 

If your go-to uni meal takes more than fifteen minutes to prepare, you’ve really got your life together (although your flatmates might hate you when they’re trying to reheat last night’s leftover pasta and you’re using all four hobs – definitely worth it though). 

Via @niamhcooks on Instagram

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