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Still not making the grade in the kitchen!
But don’t despair. If you are one of
the thousands of freshers at Britain’s Universities this
year, tell your mum and dad that you WILL survive. Fellow
students are surviving on less than 95p per meal – and buying
better quality, healthier food and less ‘convenience’ meals
than ever before.
A survey conducted across England on behalf of the English Beef
and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) questioned over 1000 students (1274)
and revealed that those of you heading off to University are just
not equipped with the skills to look after yourselves and even
lack the basic skills needed to prepare food.
When it comes down to the weekly shop, you are less likely
to be shopping for bargains and more likely to be buying for convenience
than your parents’ generation. Currently 40% of you
actively search for bargain buys to stock up the fridge compared
to 58% of students who studied 20 years ago. One in four of
you also fill your basket with convenience foods. However,
despite the move to convenience shopping there has also been a rise
in the more health conscious shopper, with 28% opting for “healthy” foods
compared to just 12% doing the same twenty years ago (1987).
Whilst there is a move towards healthy eating, of those of you
currently studying, over 58% of you spend an average
of £20 or less per week on food, emphasising the importance
of learning to eat healthy foods on a budget.
You all know Simon Rimmer – celeb chef and co presenter on
BBC 2 Something for the Weekend. Simon remembers his student
days well, advising you all to: "Keep cooking simple and use
staple, fresh ingredients. Quality Standard beef mince is
quick, nutritional and tasty and it’s good on the pocket
as it goes a long way!"
Simon feels you need to make the effort to eat healthily; “ It
can be a daunting experience moving away from home for the first
time and having to cope with University life and cooking your own
meals, but cooking can be a very social and exciting experience;
it’s certainly important to maintain a healthy mind and body
whilst studying. Check out some of my handy tips to get you started."
Spag bol has also taken over beans on toast as
your favourite
dish...
Those who were at University 20 years ago were most likely
to be eating beans on toast fairly regularly, with nearly 50% saying
it was the dish they cooked most frequently. However, although
today’s students, that's you guys, look to the microwave
to provide sustenance, 34% of you regularly cook ready prepared
microwave
dishes, spaghetti bolognaise is top of the class with 48% of you
saying it a dish you cook most often. Other mince favourites
include 29% opting for shepherds/cottage pie, 27% going for chilli
and 28% of you say lasagne is a key part of your diet.
Although the majority of you are relying the microwave or the Uni
canteen, one in four of your parents believe that the rise in TV
cookery programmes and celebrity chefs has meant you are all much
better cooks than they were at their age, not bad! The recent
study also revealed that 3% of your parents feel that you all put
them to shame with you cooking skills, describing you as “cordon
bleu cooks”!!
University is not only about excelling academically, but also about
learning to look after yourself. Using simple ingredients such
as Quality Standard beef mince in cooking and looking out for the
Quality Standard label can make all the difference. The
label assures the quality of the meat and adding simple healthy
ingredients will help you maintain a balanced diet and not succumb
to junk food.
Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore, follow Simon’s
handy tips and our online recipes to get inspired for a fun experience.
Download the full survey findings and check out our recommended
Quality Standard beef mince recipes to help this term time...
EBLEX commissioned Tickbox.net to interview 1,274 people in August 2007.
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