Words and pictures by Eve Gittus
There’s a common misconception that students live on pot noodles, pizza and beer, but this is simply not true. Here I meet some of the students smashing that stereotype to create interesting healthy food on a budget.
Karina Liao is a 20-year-old student from Central London, studying English Language at Cardiff University.
Although she doesn’t enjoy cooking, she can cook herself a variety of different meals. From spaghetti meatballs to kimchi fried rice, salmon salads, bibimbap and stir-fries. Karina finds cooking at home in London easier compared to being in her flat in Cardiff because her kitchen has more ingredients and condiments.
I asked Karina some questions about her opinion on student diets. Part of her thinks that students are too busy with assignments and their schedules that they don’t have time to properly cook but she also thinks that students are lazy. She suggests that if you’re a student and you’re struggling to cook proper food, “search recipes online and with whatever ingredients you already have, have a go”.
Lauren Turner is a 20-year-old student from Somerset, studying Law at Cardiff University.
Lauren grew up with pub food and being surrounded by food when she was younger, she learned skills from her mother who also cooked for her family. At home, the kinds of meals she would eat were pies, casseroles, curries and pasta bakes/dishes. Since coming to university, her meals have been lighter. Her dairy-free diet consists of tofu, grains and vegetables. She loves buying fresh fruit and vegetables from the market and fresh bread from the bakery.
Lauren struggled with eating in the past but since coming to university she has learned what her body needs and living away from home has taught her how important it is to eat and fuel yourself.
John Ngan is a 22-year-old student from New Territories, Hong Kong, studying Civil Engineering at Cardiff University.
John grew up eating Hong Kong style dishes but since coming to university he makes a lot of pasta dishes, such as chicken pasta with tomato sauce or fish fillets. He doesn’t enjoy cooking but he knows that it’s important to eat especially if you’ve been working all day. He rarely gets takeaway food because it can be expensive.
Tony Fong is a 22-year-old student from New Territories, Hong Kong, studying Psychology at Cardiff University.
Tony enjoys cooking chicken with stir fry vegetables. This is his typical everyday lunch after going to the gym. He doesn’t snack throughout the day, he prefers making proper meals. He also likes to use youtube to help with cooking skills.