Who needs a pot noodle anyway? (Snacks and Standbys)

Member Name: hypno06

Product:	Snacks and Standbys
Date:	09/08/09 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to cook, filling and nutritious.

Disadvantages: Not many veggies included here.....sorry!

Snacks and standbys - here is a review that could be expertly written by my 13 year old son, who is constantly hungry, and pretty independent when it comes to cooking. He makes about half the meals (all cooking from scratch) that we eat at home, and when he gets as far as university, he will never go hungry or be destined to spend 3 years of his life eating baked beans cold out of a tin, or 8p noodles.....

Snacks and standbys for some people mean a cupboard full of crisps and bars of chocolates. In my house, the rule is that you can eat as much fruit and yoghurt as you want in between meals, but that if you "need" something proper, you have something proper - it saves you snacking on rubbish later on.

Mealtimes in our house are often disjointed - my two do a lot of sport, and so cannot eat too close to training otherwise indigestion sets in. That means, that they may need to have something to eat at 4pm, and again when they finish at 9.30pm. They are using a lot of energy while they train, so I need to ensure that they can make themselves something nutritious and delicious before they train that will keep them going until later on, when again they probably want something small but substantial rather than a large meal due to the time of night at which they will eat.

So.....here we have it, my "snacks and standbys" - all easy, storecupboard based, nutritious and delicious snacks that take the absolute minimum of time and effort to make, that cost next to nothing, and that any budding university layabout, I mean student, can do.......

1) Sardines on toast.
Toast one side of the bread, and spread sardines, in tomato sauce, oil or any other dressing on the untoasted side. Place under the grill for a couple of minutes to heat the sardines through. Oily fish such as sardines or mackerel is incredibly good for you and gives you calcium as well as essential vitamins. The combination of protein in the fish, and carbohydrate from the bread is pretty good too!

2) Baked Beans on toast.
The food of students the world over. A cheap, low fat, filling meal that, again, provides a good source of protein as well as the carbs from the bread. Some will go as far as to count the tomato sauce as one of your 5 a day. I don't, personally, but still reckon this is one of the best lunches you can get for the money!

3) Eggs of any sort
Parents - please please please teach your children how to boil eggs - I am amazed at how many university students can't make a boiled egg! Scrambled, boiled with dippy soldiers, poached or fried, a couple of eggs are nutritious, filling, and delicious! Hot buttered toast on the side, or with a couple of rashers of bacon.....yum!

4) Jacket Potatoes
I don't like mine done in the microwave but if you don't mind, then you can have a baked potato in just a few minutes - add butter, a bit of cheese, the rest of the baked beans that you didn't have on beans on toast yesterday, or whatever you have in the fridge, and you have a meal that is full of fibre and goodness! I do mine in the conventional oven, where they take about an hour, but taste oh so good!

5) Pancakes
Pancake batter is one of the most simple things in the world to do, so why do we save it for Shrove Tuesday!? Flour, milk, water and an egg is all you need to make a load of batter. Fry and toss, add a bit of butter, lemon and sugar, and you have a filling snack that will keep you going until your next big meal, quite nicely!

6) Jam fritters
With some of the remaining pancake batter, make a jam sandwich, dunk the sandwich in the batter, and then fry it. Wicked, filling, sweet, and not something we need to save for campfires!

7 ) Eggy Bread
Got a bit of bread that is past its best? Got an egg that you don't know how to boil? Then you can make eggy bread! Beat the egg in a bowl and dunk the bread in it - then fry it in a frying pan. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on it and you have something you will make time and time again!

8) Fridge-remains-pasta
Look in the fridge at the end of the week, and what do you see - a few mushrooms, half a pepper going a bit wrinkly, a courgette you never knew what to do with, one remaining rasher of bacon and the leftover sausage from earlier in the week. Chop everything up and fry in a little olive oil or butter. Add it to some cooked pasta and if you have either a tin of chopped tomatoes or a bit of philadelphia type soft cheese add that too, and you have a veritable feast that you can serve any unexpected guests!

So there you have it - I don't think any of the above are unhealthy if eaten in moderation, most have a good balance of carbs and protein, and all are cheap, easy to make, and not reliant on being a good cook. OK, so they don't include a load of veggies, but grab an apple or banana on your way out and you can offset this!

These are not intended to be substitutes for main meals, but if you are having one of "those" days where you don't seem to have time to cook and eat, try one of the above instead, and it will see you through!

My teenagers are very good at rummaging through cupboards to make a pre or post training snack, and will excel in student accommodation, I am sure!

Summary: A student need never starve, even on a tight budget!