The Little Book of Vegan Student Food

Being a student is hard enough, but if you’re on a tiny budget and living in a bedsit with a tiny cooker and fridge, then these books can help you eat right and save money. So you can spend more time partying and drinking beer!

Store cooked leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months (write date it was cooked, on the lid). Defrost thoroughly overnight in the fridge, and don’t refreeze or reheat.

The Little Book of Vegan Student Food is not just for students, but for anyone on a budget, and those of us who prefer simple affordable recipes over big coffee-table books of recipes that often are too complicated or time-consuming or expensive to make.

You won’t find pictures of authors in their luxury kitchens in this book, just simple recipes made with simple ingredients (beans!) that you could start making this evening.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (many foods are unsafe near animal friends). Bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) and citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps, as acids could harm compost creatures. It’s okay to put them in food waste bins (made into biogas).

For tinned foods, fully remove lids (put inside) or pop ring-pulls back over holes (and pinch top opening closed) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

This pocket-size guide is handy to take with you to university or on holiday and is packed with nutritionally-sound plant-based meal that are tasty and easy-to-make. Spice up your student suppers with recipes easy enough to make on a hot-plate.

For example, the recipe for nachos just needs a can of beans and tortilla wraps, a tomato and onion, olive oil, a little vegan yoghurt and grated ‘cheese’, along with paprika, salt and pepper. And a squeeze of lemon. The recipe is simple to fit on one page.

Mid-Week Mac. While pasta cooks, make a roux with Flora plant-based butter (no palm oil), mustard, onion/garlic powder and cheesy-tasting nutritional yeast. Add flour to make a thick sauce, cook and add tomatoes and sweetcorn.

Simple Soup makes a nice garlic onion stock in broth, then just add a baked peeled pumpkin, cool and freeze into portions, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Around half of all students are now plant-based, and the good news is that on campus, you don’t need much equipment. The must-haves include:

A set of affordable quality knives (and chopping board)
A saucepan and frying pan
A wooden spoon, mixing bowl and baking tray
A set of cup and spoon measures
A measuring jug (a 3/4 full standard mug is 250ml)

The student vegan starter kit

Tinned beans and lentils: Instant protein and fibre for chilli, curry, pasta sauces, and salads.
Chickpeas: Great for wraps, bowls, and quick curries.
Tinned tomatoes or passata: Your base for bolognese, chilli, soup, and shakshuka-style beans.
Frozen veg (mixed veg, peas, spinach): Cheap, no chopping, no waste.
Oats: Breakfast, snacks, even savoury oat bowls.
Rice, pasta, noodles: Budget carbs that make meals filling fast.
Peanut butter: Turns noodles into sauce and oats into dessert.
Soy sauce, curry powder, stock cubes: Small cost, big flavour.
Lemon juice or vinegar: Brightens flat food, especially beans and soups.
Nutritional yeast (optional): “Cheesy” taste for pasta and toast.
Tahini (optional): Creamy sauces, if you find it on offer.

Quick affordable meal ideas in 10/20 minutes

Hummus and grated carrot wraps (5 minutes): Tortilla wraps, hummus, grated carrot, spinach or lettuce.
Baked sweet potato with beans (10 to 12 minutes): Bake a sweet potato, split it, top with baked beans or mixed beans plus salsa.
Overnight oats (2 minutes prep, eat cold): Oats, plant milk, banana, peanut butter.
Lentil bolognese (15 to 20 minutes): Fry onion (or use frozen), add garlic granules, pour in passata and tinned lentils, simmer, then toss through pasta. Swap: use chopped tomatoes and a pinch of sugar if passata’s gone.
Chickpea and spinach curry (15 minutes): Warm curry powder or curry paste in a pan, add chickpeas and tinned tomatoes, stir in frozen spinach at the end. Serve with rice. Swap: use frozen mixed veg if spinach isn’t your thing.
Smoky bean chilli (15 to 20 minutes): Mixed beans, tinned tomatoes, chilli flakes, smoked paprika (if you have it), and a stock cube. Eat with rice or tortilla chips. Swap: skip the smoky flavour and add extra black pepper and cumin if you’ve got it.
Pasta salad with chickpeas (15 minutes): Cook pasta, rinse cold, add chickpeas, sweetcorn, diced cucumber, and a simple dressing (oil, vinegar, salt). Swap: use frozen peas instead of cucumber.
Roasted veg and hummus pitta (20 to 30 minutes, hands-off): Roast whatever veg you’ve got, then stuff into pittas with hummus. Swap: air fryer chips plus salad still counts.

A Charity That Helps Young Vegans

The Vegetarian Charity is a small charity that gives grants to vegans and vegetarians under 26, who need help. You need to provide proof from two people, via signed reference requests.

Typical grants are for educational courses, special needs, and daily living (fridges, bedding, sewing machines etc).