A survival guide to solo cooking part 1

How to cook for one

You probably have an image of uni kitchens. And yeah, they’re usually chaotic, kind of gross, and mysteriously always out of clean spoons. But before you shudder or vow never to eat anything but instant noodles, hold up. Hear me out. We can make this work. You can eat well, stick to a great little budget, and actually minimise food waste.

Do not get too excited

I, for one, absolutely did. That first trip? Euphoric. £9.78 and I had a full bag of groceries like I was living in 2013. But here’s the catch: you don’t have enough fridge space, stomach capacity, or time to get through six different types of cheese, five-for-one yoghurts, and a "mystery meat" offer just because it was on sale.

Treat yourself, absolutely. Explore new foods and try the weirdly cheap groceries you’ve never seen before. But do it in a calculated way. What’s the calculation? That brings us to the real game-changer.

Meal prep (but make it fun)

This isn’t sad tupperware chicken and soggy rice (unless that’s your thing, no judgment). Meal prep can actually be kind of exciting. Think TikTok recipes, fusion bowls, food that looks like you tried even when you didn’t.

It’s not about becoming a food influencer. It’s about having a plan. Knowing what you’re going to eat stops you from panic-buying overpriced meal deals or letting your fridge become a graveyard of half-used veg. ChatGPT can be your sous chef. Ask it to generate a weekly meal plan based on what’s in your fridge, help you veganise your mum’s spaghetti recipe, or pull together five cheap meals under £2. You just need to input a few basics.

And the best part? You can batch cook without making it boring. Freeze portions in individual containers. Label them (yes, with dates, your future self will thank you). Keep one or two meals in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. Rotate them. Suddenly, your Thursday night pasta isn’t a last-minute panic. It’s a masterpiece you made three days ago when you still had energy.

Know how to store your food (properly)

Okay, this is the difference between being a semi-functional adult and throwing away £20 worth of groceries every week.

First off, yes, there are actual UK government food safety guidelines. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises you not to rely solely on the look-smell-taste test, especially for things like meat, fish, or dairy. Even if it smells fine, bacteria like Listeria can still grow if something has been left out too long. The takeaway? Always check the use-by date. Those aren’t just about taste. They’re about safety. There is a difference between the use-by and best-before dates, but you can look that up so I don't get sued. 

That said, for things like fruit and veg or dry goods, you can use your senses a bit more. Mouldy carrots? No. Slightly soft apples? Totally fine. Crusty end of the bread loaf? Trim it. Trust your judgment, but don’t wing it. If you’re unsure, a quick search for FSA food storage advice can save you a stomachache later.

Some basic storage wins:

• Top shelves of your fridge: cooked food, dairy, leftovers
• Bottom shelf: raw meat or fish (in sealed containers to avoid drippy chaos)
• Drawers: fruit and veg
• Cupboards: dry stuff like pasta, rice, tins (just check expiry dates now and then)

Also, label your leftovers. If you don’t know what it is and you don’t know when you made it, bin it. Basically, if in REASONABLE doubt, don’t eat it. But if I see you chucking away a slightly brown banana, I will not be pleased. 

Right, good luck and see you in the next blog post,

Shiv