Recipe

12 Cheap and Healthy Tesco Meals for Under £12 Total

By Jody Brimacombe at University of St. Andrews

St Andrews has a lot to offer students, but cheap living isn't one of them. You drop £35+ on ball tickets. You're spending your weekly grocery budget on a single cocktail at the Adamson. And suddenly, the only thing you can afford from Tesco is a pack of 40p biscuits.

My friend Madison and I took on the challenge of coming up with a Tesco meal plan that is cheap, healthy, and easy to make. It includes five simple meals that are gluten friendly, vegan, and cheap. Each recipe makes two to four servings; share with a friend, or save the leftovers for lunch the next day. You won't mind eating these flavorful recipes more than once.

Here's what your shopping list looks like:

-2 large courgettes (£1.48)

-3 onions (£0.45)

-1 bag three mixed peppers (£0.85)

-1 bag carrots (£0.45)

-1 bag spinach (240g) (£1.50)

-2 bulbs garlic (£0.60)

-1 can taco beans (£0.40)

-1 can chickpeas (£0.35)

-1 pouch quinoa (£2.35)

-2 jars Tesco Everyday Value pasta sauce (£0.90)

-1 large cauliflower head (£1.50)

-1 bottle BBQ sauce (£0.99)

= £ 11.82

Monday: Pulled BBQ Carrots

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1/2 bag carrots
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 cups spinach
  • salt and pepper to taste

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine grated carrots, sliced onion, salt, and pepper

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 3

Transfer the mixture to a covered pot. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Mix in BBQ sauce. Return the pot to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until cooked through

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 4

Serve pulled BBQ carrots over spinach

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Tuesday: Stuffed Taco Peppers

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 100g quinoa
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 can taco beans
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cooking oil

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Step 2

Prepare quinoa according to package directions

Step 3

Using a small knife, cut small circles in the top of each pepper, removing the stems. Set these aside

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 4

In a large pan, heat oil and diced onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until onion turns opaque

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 5

Add taco beans, quinoa, and salt to the pan. Stir until beans dissolve into a stew

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 6

Add spinach to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until spinach wilts

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 7

Use a spoon to stuff peppers with filling until each pepper is bursting with goodness. You won't use all of the bean mixture, so set the rest aside for Friday's Vegetable Pie recipe

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 8

Place stuffed peppers on a baking sheet with lids on, and cook in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until well roasted

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Wednesday: Vegetable Courgetti

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 8 mins
  • Total Time: 23 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 courgette
  • 100g quinoa
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 2 handfuls spinach
  • 1 jar pasta sauce

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 1

Prepare quinoa according to package directions

Step 2

Using either a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler, peel courgette into thin ribbons resembling spaghetti. Set aside

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 3

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper, cooking for 4-5 minutes, or until onion turns opaque

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 4

Add sliced courgette, cooked quinoa, tomato sauce, and spinach. Cook for five minutes, or until spinach has wilted

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Thursday: Five-Ingredient Falafels

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 100g quinoa
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 tsp salt

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 1

Preheat oven to 390°F

Step 2

Prepare quinoa according to package directions

Step 3

Using a sharp knife, chop spinach into small pieces

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 4

Place chickpeas and garlic on a large baking tray, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes

Step 5

Transfer chickpeas to a blender. Squeeze roasted garlic out of husks and into the blender, then pulse to combine into a fine flour

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 6

Transfer to a bowl, and combine with cooked quinoa and spinach

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 7

Using your hands, roll the chickpea mixture into golf-ball sized spheres. Place these spheres on a baking tray. The recipe should yield roughly 16 falafels

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 8

Bake falafels in the oven for fifteen minutes, or until browning slightly on the top. Serve with fresh lemon, tzatziki, or dressing of choice

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Friday: Leftover Vegetable Pie

  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
  • Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 courgette
  • 1/2 bag carrots
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 jar pasta sauce
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1 tsp salt
  • remainder taco bean mixture

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Step 2

Using a sharp knife, roughly chop cauliflower into chunks. Spread on a 9x12 baking pan with garlic cloves

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 3

Place baking pan in oven for 35-45 minutes, or until vegetables are well roasted

Step 4

While the vegetables are roasting, use a small knife to thinly slice courgette into ribbons

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 5

Slice the carrots into thin ribbons

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 6

In a blender, combine roasted cauliflower, garlic cloves (skins removed), and salt. Pulse until a mashed consistency forms. Set aside

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 7

In a 9x12 baking pan, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 8

Layer half of the carrot ribbons on top of the tomato sauce

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 9

Layer half of the courgette ribbons on top of the carrots

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 10

Spread a layer of leftover taco bean mixture on top of the courgette ribbons

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 11

Repeat steps 7-10

Step 12

Spoon cauliflower-garlic mash over top of the layered vegetables. Smooth mixture into corner of the pan using the back of a spoon

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Step 13

Bake vegetable pie for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the vegetables are soft

Photo by Jody Brimacombe

Co-authored by Madison Nimmo