Health easy recipes for students

What you eat fuels your energy, your focus and your sleep, so a good meal is worth making time for. The best part is that none of it needs to be complicated or expensive. Taking a bit of time to prepare means there's always healthy food on hand, and you'll save both money and time–precious resources in the life of a student. Below are three recipes built by Torrens University Nutrition and Naturopathy students, plus a few habits to make them stick.

Meal prep and nutrition tips for students

Meal prepping on the weekend saves you from the nightly “what's for dinner?” spiral, giving you the mental energy back for the things that really matter. Here's where to start.

• Batch cook once, eat all week. Cook a big pot of grains or a tray of roast veg, then portion it into containers. Planning your meals, portioning as you go and storing them properly keeps costs down and means a healthy lunch is ready to grab on busy days. An oven, a pot, a frying pan and a mixing bowl will see you through all three, so they suit beginners and work even in share-house kitchens.
• Build a balanced plate. Aim for a source of protein, some wholegrains and plenty of vegetables at most meals. The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating sets out the five food groups and how much of each adults need, which is a handy reference when you are planning student meals on a budget.
• Waste less, spend less. Frozen vegetables are your friend here. They are snap-frozen soon after picking, so they keep most of their nutrients and can stack up well against fresh, usually for less money. Keep a few bags of peas, corn, spinach or berries on standby so nothing wilts forgotten in the crisper, and go easy on the cooking time to keep them at their best. Bread, cooked grains and leftovers freeze well too, so spare portions head for the freezer instead of the bin.

Balanced healthy recipes

These three dishes come straight from our students. Nutrition and Naturopathy students invent recipes constantly, especially in clinic, where smoothies, salads and home-cooked meals are a part of the training. Each year, our Learning Facilitators gather the best of them into The Practice Student Cookbook, an eBook that pairs each dish with the nutrition science behind its ingredients. Because it lives online, it grows every year as new students add their own. Having your recipe and photo featured is a genuine line for the CV.

You can browse the full Student cookbook for more, and the three below are a good place to begin.

Warm roasted vegetable salad

A colourful main or generous side from Ericia Gander (Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy). Roasted pumpkin and beetroot bring beta-carotene, fibre and the deep-red betalains beetroot is known for, while chickpeas add plant protein and pine nuts, and feta finish it with healthy fats. Shredded slow-cooked lamb folds through well if you want it heartier.

Serves 6 | Prep 15 minutes | Cook 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1/4 Japanese pumpkin, sliced 3cm thick, skin on
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Salt
• 2 cups reduced-salt vegetable stock
• 2 medium beetroot bulbs
• 410g can chickpeas, drained
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 3 medium Roma tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 400g green beans, topped
• 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
• 100g feta
• 1/4 cup continental parsley, chopped
• 3 green shallots, sliced

Tahini dressing

• 2 tbsp hulled tahini
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Greek yoghurt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Cooking method

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Rub the pumpkin with tomato paste, then sprinkle with oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Sit it in a greased baking dish and pour in the vegetable stock.
• Wrap the beetroot in foil and place on an oven tray. Put the pumpkin and beetroot in the oven together.
• In a bowl, toss the chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and the sriracha.
• After 30 minutes, take out the pumpkin, scatter the chickpeas over the top and return it to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden.
• Put the tomatoes on a tray, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with basil and a pinch of salt. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the beetroot, tomatoes and pumpkin. Toast the pine nuts on a tray until golden. Peel the roasted beetroot and quarter it.
• Steam the beans, then layer them onto a platter with the pumpkin, chickpeas, tomatoes, beetroot, pine nuts, feta, parsley and shallots.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients together, pour over and serve.

Loving lentil salad

From Amber Kenny (Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical Nutrition), this is the cure for the sad desk lunch. Quinoa and brown lentils together supply all nine essential amino acids, so it stands up as a complete plant protein, and the kale and rocket pack in the fibre your gut will appreciate.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 12 cups kale
• 2 cups rocket
• 1 can brown lentils
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

For the dressing

• Juice of 1/2 lemon or orange
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking method

• Add the quinoa to a medium pot with 3/4 cup of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wash and chop the salad leaves and parsley, and drain and rinse the lentils well.
• Put the rocket and kale in a serving bowl with half the olive oil and massage it into the leaves.
• Add the lentils, parsley, cooked quinoa and pumpkin seeds, and toss to combine.
• Squeeze over the citrus juice, add the rest of the oil, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Batata harrah

Fatima Al-Ansari (Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical Nutrition) student, shares a Levantine-style spiced potato dish that is quick, warming and easy on the wallet. Potatoes bring fibre and vitamin C, garlic and olive oil add flavour and heart-friendly fats, and harissa or cayenne brings the heat. Fresh coriander lifts it at the end.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp minced coriander
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp harissa paste or cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Cajun spices (optional)

Cooking method

• Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced. Boil the cubed potato until half cooked.
• Spread the potato on a baking tray with 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tbsp olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, until crisp, golden and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, warm 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a small pan. Add the garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the coriander and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in the harissa, cayenne or Cajun spices, then take the pan off the heat.
• Toss the garlic and coriander paste through the potatoes. Serve straight away and refrigerate any leftovers.

Are you studying Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition or Naturopathy at Torrens University Australia and want to see your recipe featured here? Contact Louise Rubic, our Senior Learning Facilitator, School of Health Sciences, for more information.