5-Day Budget Halal Meal Plan for Students

Protein: halal chicken thighs or drumsticks (700 g to 900 g), halal beef or lamb mince (400 g), tinned tuna (2 tins), eggs (8 to 10), plain yoghurt.

Carbohydrates and staples: oats, rice, pasta, potatoes, wraps or bread.

Tinned and frozen items: red lentils, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, sweetcorn, frozen mixed vegetables, frozen peas.

Fresh produce: onions, carrots, lettuce or cabbage, apples, bananas, garlic.

Storecupboard basics: cooking oil, salt, pepper, paprika, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon, peanut butter if used for breakfast.

Set aside about 90 minutes on Sunday or the first free evening of the week.

1. Cook a pot of red lentil soup and portion it for two lunches.

2. Roast the chicken with potatoes, onions, and carrots so Monday dinner is ready and Tuesday lunch already has its protein.

3. Cook a batch of rice for Tuesday dinner and Wednesday lunch. Cool it quickly, portion it, and refrigerate it straight away.

4. Chop one extra onion and a few carrots so the mince and pasta dinners come together faster later in the week.

5. Make two jars of overnight oats so breakfasts are covered when mornings are tight.

Refrigerate cooked food promptly and avoid leaving it out while you get distracted. Rice needs extra care: cool it quickly, chill it, and use it within 24 hours if you plan to reheat it. Reheat leftovers until they are steaming hot throughout. If you know you will not use soup or cooked meat in time, freeze it in single portions and defrost it in the fridge before reheating.