Quick And Easy Meals To Get You Through This Back To School Season

With the back to school season on its way, we have put together some meal recipes that will make life ten times easier for you. We know what it’s like, you come in from a long day at sixth form or university and the last thing you really want to do is spend hours slaving over a hot stove. But, you just can’t be ordering pizza or popping to McDonald’s every single night – it’s not good for the bank account or the bod. So, that is why we have got three healthy yet super quick and easy to make meals that won’t hurt your bank account too much at all! Why not give them a go?

1. Easy homemade pizza pittas

Who doesn’t love pizza? Let’s be honest, pretty much 99% of people love pizza! But ordering pizzas every night can quickly cause havoc for your bank account (Sadly). However, these awesome pizza pittas will not only be easier on the bank account, but will also be a much healthier option whilst still tasting amazing! Not to mention the fact that these bad boys take five minutes at the most to assemble and are super flexible as you can just make toppings out of whatever you have lying around in the fridge – what more could you ask for? So, if you have a craving for a good pizza but don’t want to cause too much damage, try these pizza pittas out for size. Go get creative!

Ingredients:

A couple of whole grain pittas
Tomato pureé
Grated cheese
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced bell peppers
Basil

Simply top the pittas with some tomato pureé and grated cheese, and then throw on your favourite toppings – I love cherry tomatoes and bell peppers but you could pick virtually anything! Another great choice is pepperoni slices and ham, or maybe even try mushrooms and pinapples. After you have chosen your toppings, you can then sprinkle a little basil on top and pop them on a baking tray and into the oven for around ten minutes. Then, just like that, you have your cheap and healthy little pizzas!

2. Chicken stir fry

A chicken stir fry is a super healthy, super tasty and reasonably priced meal that takes hardly any time to make – making it the ideal meal for when you come home from school, college or university starving and in need of some quick food. Below is the recipe for you to try…

Ingredients:

3 medium bell peppers
1 red onion
1 tin of 325g sweetcorn
2 chicken breasts
2 handfulls of spinach
Rice or noodles (whichever you fancy!)
A stir fry sauce (optional)

To cook the stiry fry, I simply wash all of my veggies, chop them up and throw them into a wok with some extra virgin olive oil (olive oil is great for you, and extra virgin is even better, so keep it healthy by using olive oil!). Whilst the veggies are simmering away, I boil either some rice or noodles. I then either add some seasoning to the stir fry (just add whatever you like, I usually go with salt and pepper) or you can add a stir fry sauce – just beware that store-bought sauces often have added salt and sugar so watch these if you’re trying to keep it super healthy! Then after ten to fifteen minutes, I take the veggies and rice/noodles off the heat and plate up – it’s as simple as that! Within half an hour of returning home, you’ve got a super healthy, filling meal that cost very little! Beware, these ingredients will make two portions though, so you can either treat your other half or you can pop a portion in the fridge for an easy school or university packed lunch the next day.

3. An omelette

If the stir fry isn’t quick enough for you, an omelette definitely will be – these honestly take no more than ten minutes. Omelettes are great for packing in that protein and just like with a stir fry, you can add virtually anything you like into an omelette! I sometimes add peas, sweetcorn and ham, or sometimes I had spinach, tomatoes and a sprinkle of cheese – this is a great one for just using up whatever needs eating in the fridge. They are ideal for students, as they cost very little and take very little time too! Below is my favourite omelette to make after a long day of university work…

Ingredients:

1-2 eggs (depending on how big you want your omelette)
A knob of butter
A small handful of reduced fat cheddar cheese
A handful of spinach
A handful of sweetcorn
3 chopped cherry tomatoes

Omelettes are super easy to make, even if you consider yourself an awful cook, you can probably manage an omelette. Simply whisk the eggs in a bowl until they’re combined, heat the butter (go for reduced fat or vegetable spread for a healthier omelette) until it begins to sizzle, then add the eggs and swirl and shake the pan until they cover the whole surface (like you would a pancake). Before it starts to set, sprinkle in your other ingredients. Finally, once the edges start to crisp and there is no liquid left, slide the omelette onto a plate – folding it in half as you do so. Then you’re done! In as little as ten minutes, you have got yourself a cheap, easy and filling meal.

So, no matter what you like to eat and no matter how little time you have, there is no excuse for not being able to make a delicious and healthy meal after school, college or university. Why not give one of these meals a try this back to school season to make your life a little easier? Let us know in the comments section below which one of these is your favourites, or even suggest some quick, easy and cheap meals of your own – we’d love to hear some suggestions!

Featured image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-grey-long-sleeved-shirt-holding-black-ceramic-plate-with-cooked-foods-1851468/