2010: A new year, a new decade and time for a new attitude to your diet.  After an over-indulgent festive period, many people start the year with great ideas to eat more healthily and to take better care of their bodies.  However, for the penny-saving student this can be more difficult.  With prices for fresh fruit and vegetables remaining well above those of calorie-packed ready-meals, the latter are often more appealing. 

Students tend to pile on the pounds during their first year at university and young people often have a insufficient intake of vital vitamins and minerals.  However, it is important to eat a balanced diet to feel alert and focussed, and to get the best out of your university experience. 

For many students, university is the first time they have lived away from home and learning to fend for themselves can be a little more demanding than it seems.  Cost and convenience are the two main factors involved when choosing what to eat, but a nutritious diet does not have to be expensive or indeed boring.  Here are some tips for ensuring a healthy and balanced diet, without over-spending:

• Plan your budget – at the start of each week work out how much money you have to spend on food, and make sure you stick to it.
• Healthy breakfast – always make sure you start the day with a decent breakfast.  Research shows that people who skip their first meal tend to snack more during the day.  Eating a nutritious breakfast will kick-start your metabolism so your body will burn fat more efficiently.  A good bowl of cereal in the morning is a cheap and delicious way to begin your day.
• 5-a-day – try to eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables every day, to guarantee the necessary nutrients for a healthy lifestyle.  These may come in the form of: fresh, frozen, juiced, dried or canned, so the choice is endless.
• Cook whenever possible – cooking at home is always a healthier and cheaper option to eating out and it is also a lot of fun experimenting with new recipes. 
• Stock up your cupboard with essentials – always make sure you have the basic ingredients in your cupboard, so you can rustle up a quick dish whenever you fancy.
• Shop wisely  - supermarkets are great for buying essentials but for more specific foods, there are often cheaper places.  Visit local markets to find fresh fruit and vegetables at low prices, and when in supermarkets always hunt for the best deals, especially on own-brands.
• Plan meals  - whenever possible plan what you are going to eat in advance and write shopping lists before hitting the supermarket, so you know exactly what you need to buy and are not tempted to spend over your budget.
• Regular mealtimes – always try to eat at regular times and do not skip meals, as this often leads to over-spending on meals and snacks.
• Drink lots of water – make sure your body is given enough fluid by drinking about eight glasses of water a day.    Try not to drink alcohol every night because this will dehydrate your body and excessive consumption can lead to long-term damage to the body’s internal organs.
• Cook in batches – it can be expensive buying different ingredients for each meal.  Cook up a batch of food and then freeze what you don’t eat.  Always make sure you re-heat any frozen food thoroughly before eating.