Eating well on a student budget can be challenging, but with the right inspiration and recipes, it’s entirely possible to enjoy tasty and nutritious meals without breaking the bank. Here are nine Instagram pages that are perfect for students looking to make good food on a budget.
These pages factor in a number of things that different students might be looking for. Some are quick, easy meals to make on the go that still taste good, while some are for meal prep for the week. The one thing they all have in common is that their meals all look delicious and worth trying your hand at making.
These accounts offer easy recipes, budget-friendly ingredients, and creative meal ideas, perfect for busy student life.
1. Whatwillycook
Will Hughes, the face behind WhatWillyCook, is a chef who loves to share simple and delicious recipes.
His approach is straightforward and comedic, and he often uses common ingredients and minimal steps, making it ideal for students who might be new to cooking.
The videos are easy to watch and short, and the food is always excellent. However, the downside to these videos is that they do not contain any information in the caption regarding amounts – but you can do the student thing and just eyeball that, right?
Why it’s great for students
Most of Will’s dishes can be whipped up quickly, perfect for a busy student schedule.
He also uses ingredients that are easy to find and often very affordable – with the odd exception, because who doesn’t want to show off every once in a while?
In addition to this, his video tutorials are easy to follow, ensuring even novice cooks can replicate his meals.
Stand-out recipe: Chickpeas and chorizo on toast
This recipe is super simple to make, taking approximately 5 minutes to prepare everything and another 10 to make.
The ingredients are readily available in most supermarkets and are not crazy expensive – the most expensive item would likely be the chorizo or the red wine.
The equipment required to make this recipe is also stuff that most students will have in their house, with nothing out of the ordinary required.
2. Dinner_at_hols
Hollie, the creative mind behind Dinner_at_Hols, focuses on easy, wholesome recipes that don’t require a lot of time or money.
Her feed is a vibrant mix of colorful, delicious meals that are both satisfying and budget-friendly. One benefit of Hollie’s meals is that she also includes the number of servings, calories and protein.
All of my meals are great for meal prep, so they can cook a big batch and freeze them and not have to worry about cooking on those busier days. They’re also really budget friendly, so around £1-£2 per portion. You can easily cook good food from scratch on a budget, you just need to plan ahead.
Hollie Wood
Why it’s great for students
Hollie’s meals are perfect for students who don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. Furthermore, the recipes Hollie makes often use inexpensive ingredients that pack a flavorful punch, perfect for treating yourself or showing off to housemates.
She offers great tips for meal prepping, which can save time and money during the week, perfect for students with busier schedules.
Hollie also includes the number of servings each recipe makes, the calories and protein in a serving, and the ingredients list and method in the caption.
Stand-out recipe: Creamy cajun spaghetti and meatballs
As a student, pasta is one of the absolute staples when it comes to cooking on a budget. However, this does not mean it has to just be pasta, a jar of sauce and some cheese.
Hollie’s Cajun spaghetti and meatball recipe is super easy to make, will not cost much for ingredients – most of them will already be in your cupboards and fridge – and looks super tasty.
This is definitely a meal worth trying your hand at, whether it is for yourself, a group of friends, your housemates or a date. It is sure to impress.
3. Simplyrecipes
Simplyrecipes offers a vast collection of recipes suitable for all skill levels. Their Instagram page highlights quick and easy dishes that are perfect for students looking for variety without spending too much.
Although the page itself does not contain the recipes – you do have to follow a link to their webpage – it’s worth the visit for these meals.
These dishes are perfect for student living for a number of reasons, mainly the cost. They are often super cheap for ingredients and per portion but also fast to make, and you will be hard-pressed to find an image of one that does not look good.
Why it’s great for students
From breakfasts to dinners, there’s something for every meal of the day on simplyrecipes’ Instagram page.
Many recipes include tips on how to substitute ingredients, making it easier to use what you have on hand if you can not afford what they use at the time.
There are plenty of nutritious recipes that can help maintain a balanced diet on a budget, keeping you fed well while away from home at uni. The luxury of having someone around to cook for you wears off quickly at uni, but these recipes take some of the stress away.
Stand-out recipe: 5-ingredient tomato pasta
This pasta does exactly what it says on the tin. With only 5 ingredients, you already know it is going to be super cheap to make – perfect for students on a budget.
Pasta is hard to get wrong, and with only 5 ingredients, this is even harder to get wrong. Tomatoes and pasta just work, so this recipe is surely a hit, and you could even put your own twist on it if you’re really fancy – who could say no?
There are not many recipes simpler than this one. If you are someone who has little experience with cooking, this recipe should give you an understanding of some of the basics.
4. Onlyscrans
OnlyScrans is a humorous take on food blogging, but don’t let the name fool you. The recipes are no joke when it comes to flavor and budget-friendliness.
It’s perfect for students who enjoy a bit of humor with their cooking. Some of the meals are classics, and some are funny takes on some firm favorites – for example, Chinese-style salt and pepper smiley faces.
With a selection of meals ranging from fun and experimental meals to pasta class lessons for beginners, OnlyScrans covers all bases as you scroll through their page and look at their story highlights.
Why it’s great for students
The humorous approach makes cooking fun and less intimidating. Onlyscrans focuses on good-tasting recipes that won’t break the bank.
It’s ideal for students who need to whip up meals in a flash.
Some of the recipes he makes could even be confused for a uni meal itself – like his salt and chilli smiley faces, bringing takeaways and nostalgia together.
Stand-out recipe: Chilli oil noodles
This meal could not be much easier if it was a ready meal. Using instant noodles – Super Noodles, Maggi Noodles etc – is something students have always done best, and this is that but better.
Instant noodles can be found in any supermarket or corner shop and are dirt cheap, and the extra ingredients in this recipe are commonly found in virtually any store you may visit as well.
The noodles take 3 minutes to cook, and you can do the rest of the prep in the meantime, making this a super quick, cheap and easy meal that also looks delicious.
5. Budgetbytes
Beth Moncel’s BudgetBytes is a goldmine for anyone looking to eat well without spending a lot. Her Instagram page is packed with recipes that are not only budget-friendly but also incredibly tasty.
The meals are great for students who are inexperienced in the kitchen and will have your housemates thinking you have attended a course over the summer break.
Why it’s great for students
Beth at budgetbytes provides a cost-per-serving breakdown, making it easier to manage a food budget, ideal for a student lifestyle.
There are so many ideas for meals that can be made ahead and stored, making your life much easier and stress-free. Also, the recipes are broken down into easy-to-follow steps, perfect for beginners or people who have cooked before but just want simplicity.
Beth has really sussed out how to make meals affordable, easy to make for anyone of all experience levels, and most importantly of all, taste incredible. There is nothing students want more than cheap, tasty and easy.
Stand-out recipe: Cajun sausage and rice skillet
Made in one pan, recipes like this are a student’s dream. One pan means less mess and less washing up while still getting the same delicious meal.
The ingredients and the level of seasoning in this dish are what make it so appealing because you just know the flavors are going to be crazy.
Almost like jambalaya, but not quite, this recipe serves four people – whether that is you and three housemates or yourself four times over if you want to store it – making it a great student meal.
6. Cheaplazyvegan
For vegan students, CheapLazyVegan is a must-follow. Rose Lee shares plant-based recipes that are both simple and affordable, making veganism accessible to everyone. This makes vegan cooking fun, affordable, and tasty.
For non-vegans who want to mix things up or think that vegan food is boring and tasteless, try one of Rose’s recipes, and you’ll be bound to change your mind. With a variety of colors, ingredients and inspirations, these meals will change your perception of vegan food for sure.
If you are cooking for a vegan friend or just want to try something new, this is the page for you!
Why it’s great for students
Typically, vegan ready-meals and vegan alternatives are more expensive than their standard ready-meal counterparts. Rose at cheaplazyvegan, however, is showing that that does not always have to be the case with their recipes.
In addition to the lower costs, many recipes are designed to be made in under 30 minutes, which is ideal if you forget to make something the night before or you are in a rush to get to a lecture.
Finally, cheaplazyvegan also provides tips on maintaining a balanced diet on a budget.
Stand-out recipe: Pineapple tofu stir fry
Everyone loves a good takeaway, and this meal combines vegan food with the sweet and sour taste that everyone loves.
Colorful, vibrant, inexpensive and easy to make, this stir fry is the ideal vegan meal for students on a tight budget. With an overall preparation and cooking time of less than 20 minutes, this is exactly what you need.
Not to mention the fact that it looks absolutely delicious; even if you are not vegan, you might want to try this tasty-looking meal.
7. Easypeasyfoodie
EasyPeasyFoodie is all about making delicious meals with minimal effort. The recipes are straightforward and perfect for students who want to cook good food at home without spending too much time or money.
The clue is in the name of this page, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. The meals really are easy peasy which is ideal for student living.
Cost-effective and straightforward, easypeasyfoodie makes feeding yourself fun and not feel like a chore.
Why it’s great for students
Many of easypeasyfoodie’s recipes use five ingredients or fewer, making them super cheap and easy to prepare.
This page also includes lots of tips for cutting down on prep and cooking time to give you more time for essays, dissertations, lectures and the like.
Many dishes can also be easily adapted based on what you have in your cupboards or your own personal preferences and dietary requirements.
Stand-out recipe: Prawn tikka masala
This recipe is quick, easy, and looks amazing. Following the link that easypeasyfoodie posts to take you to the recipe, not only do you get the recipe, but you get all the advice you could need on substitutions, ways to make it cheaper, reuse things to make it again, and all sorts of other advice.
Once again, the ingredients are readily available in all your good supermarkets or corner stores, you will not struggle to find any one ingredient, and it takes approximately 20 minutes total to make.
This prawn tikka masala is one of those dishes that is simple, but will impress anyone you make it for.
8. Mealpreponfleek
MealPrepOnFleek focuses on meal prep solutions that are both healthy and affordable. It’s perfect for students who want to plan their meals to save time and money throughout the week.
For those who want structure or even want to make calorie/macro counting easy, this meal prep page is the one for you.
Why it’s great for students
Mealpreponfleek offers a variety of meal preparation plans to suit all different tastes and dietary needs. Also, mealpreponfleek emphasizes cost-effective recipes, so you can meal prep without breaking the bank.
The page focuses on balanced meals that are good for you and has worked out the macros in every meal for you, saving you time and effort – also ideal if you are a gym-goer and count all of your macros daily.
Stand-out recipe: Hot honey sesame chicken bowl
Chicken is another ingredient that students should always have in their fridge/freezer, and recipes like this are exactly why. Nick at mealpreponfleek has got this 20-minute meal down to a tee, with everything you could need nutritionally.
It makes multiple portions, so you can freeze and store it to have later on. You will save money in the process as you have meals to eat for the next few days.
This recipe looks really good, and hot honey is all the rage at the moment, so Nick is clearly keeping up with current trends as well.
9. Foodieholly
FoodieHolly offers a delightful mix of recipes that range from quick snacks to full meals. Holly’s approach to cooking is relaxed and fun, making it a great resource for students.
Although the videos are quick and easy to follow, all the information you could need is also in the captions.
By using this Instagram page, you will enjoy cooking for yourself or for friends. Also, you will find meals you can mess around with slightly and experiment with different variations – you do you, Holly’s set the standard, you try whatever you want around it.
Why it’s great for students
From quick bites to hearty dinners, there’s something for every craving over on Holly’s Instagram page.
All of her recipes are explained super clearly, making them easy to follow and write down or even to make along with her while you watch. As well as the food and the ease of it, Holly’s personality shines through in her videos, making cooking enjoyable and the content feels much more engaging – especially for a student audience.
It’s definitely a page you should check out if you are struggling for inspiration or just want to get into cooking but are not one hundred percent sure how. Holly makes it super easy.
Stand-out Recipe: Cheesy beans toastie
It would be wrong to make a list of student meals and leave out an absolute classic, the toastie. One thing students love is a toastie, and this recipe makes it super easy to make at home.
Nowadays, every student house seems to have an air fryer, so why would you not make your toastie in there?
This is possibly the cheapest and easiest meal of all, and it takes less than ten minutes. It could not be more of a student meal if it tried. Whether you want to do cheese and beans, cheese and bacon, or any other substitutions, this recipe will still work.
These Instagram pages offer a wealth of inspiration and practical recipes for students looking to eat well on a budget. From vegan options to hearty meals and quick snacks, there’s something for everyone.
If you like the look of these accounts, they are worth the follow. You can learn to cook delicious, nutritious meals without spending a fortune.
Whether you want to impress your housemates, get some variety in your diet, or add some structure to your day by having meals prepped, these pages are ideal for you. Happy cooking!
