Meal Two: Vegetarian-Friendly Tofu Bowl 

The rest of the meals (including this one) could be used for a lunch or dinner option. Since studying abroad I have gotten into the habit of prepping my meals on Sunday and then dividing them up into Tupperware containers to have for the rest of the week. This makes it really easy to have something quick to eat when I come back from class. 

Vegetarian-friendly tofu bowl. 

Reducing meat sometimes has been a good way for me to stay on a budget. I have loved making different variations of bowls because they are cheap and healthy, and you can completely customize them. When I feel like I need something lighter I boil some rice on the stove (with enough left for the rest of the week), and make some tofu on the stove too. You can find tofu in most stores, but I recommend using firm tofu so that it keeps its shape and gets crispy. I cooked mine on a pan in some olive oil and added salt, pepper, and paprika. The last step for this bowl is to cut up some vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, and whatever else you feel like it’s missing. My last recommendation is to buy some spicy mayo because you can drizzle it on top of a lot of dishes as a finishing touch. 

Meal Three: Chicken and Rice Bowl  

If you are looking for a meat-eaters version of a bowl you can definitely replicate it with chicken. For the chicken I used chicken breasts and cut them into smaller pieces. Then I coated them in some flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. I cooked them on the stove in olive oil and separately made a simple sauce using plain Greek yogurt, sweet chili sauce, spicy mayo, salt, and pepper. While the chicken is cooking, you can also boil some rice and cut up whatever vegetables you prefer. When the chicken is done cooking, coat it in the sauce. For the final assembly place the coated chicken on top of some rice and add your chopped vegetables. I use cucumber, avocado, radish, and green onion as a little garnish. 

Chicken and rice bowl with lots of vegetables. 

Meal 4: Chicken Parmesan  

Okay, this one might be my favorite: chicken parm, pasta, and green beans. It sounds a little more complicated but it really isn’t. Something that I have discovered since being in London is chicken goujons. You can find them in many stores including Aldi and Marks & Spencer. Essentially they are chicken pieces already breaded and fried, you just heat them up in the oven or on the stove. So a really quick chicken parm recipe is to just take the goujons, top them with some tomato sauce and mozzarella slices, and pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. For the green beans all you have to do is bring water to a boil on the stove and let your green beans cook for five minutes. The last part of this trifecta is just some pasta of your choosing.  

Chicken parm, pasta, and simple green beans. 

Meal Five: Steak 

This last meal uses steak, which is usually more expensive; I get a smaller steak and have it for two or three days during the week, however, and when I run out I substitute in an egg as my protein. For my steak I like to keep it simple and season it with salt and pepper. Then I put it on a pan with some olive oil and butter and wait for it to gradually brown. When I think it looks ready I cut into it a little bit to make sure it’s fully cooked.  

Steak, potatoes, and broccoli.  

For the broccoli it’s the same as the green beans. Simply cut small pieces off of the stalk and place them in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Lastly are the potatoes. Take a few potatoes and cut them into cubes. Spread them out on a baking pan (my housing accommodation came with pans) and drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper on top. Put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, mix them after the 20 minutes, and cook them for another 10-15 minutes to get extra crispy.