Tips for healthy eating on a budget as an international student in Sydney 

Creating a shopping list will help you to avoid impulse purchases, which means you’ll save money and be less likely to buy food that isn’t good for you. To save time, group your shopping list items into categories such as ‘shelf’, ‘fridge/freezer’, ‘fruit and vegetables’ so your time in the supermarket is more efficient.

You ideally want to go food shopping after you’ve eaten so you’re less inclined to grab sugary or salty snacks. 

Another option is to order your food online for collection at a time that suits you. Some supermarkets even do home delivery for free or a small fee, which can save you time and help you to avoid purchasing items that aren’t on your shopping list.

Wherever you shop for food, it’s wise to check the cost of items per kilogram to compare prices and don’t always trust that an item promoted as being ‘on special’ is actually the best deal. 

Popping into a small local supermarket can often result in higher prices. Larger supermarkets tend to have lower prices. 

Some supermarkets sell items that aren’t visually perfect at a lower cost and there’s often sections in supermarkets with items that are close to their use-by date that you can get at a lower cost too. This can be handy for items that are freezer friendly.

The main supermarkets you’ll find in Sydney are:

• Aldi
• Woolworths
• Coles

• IGA 

Most major supermarket websites will have online shopping function and options to collect or get delivery to your door for a fee.

Buying your weekly fruit and vegetables from a farmers’ market can be a nice way to spend part of your weekend. You can gather your goods from a number of markets across Sydney, soak up the atmosphere and know that you’re supporting local farmers, while investing in fresh produce.

Another great way to score your fresh produce and save some money is by joining a food hub. Organisations such as Box Divvy can save you up to 30% on your produce compared to supermarkets. They can save you money because they aren’t charging for storage or supply chain costs, which supermarkets do. 

While it can be fun to eat out with friends, the cost of eating at restaurants will seriously impact your budget as a student. Cooking at home means you can control the ingredients going into your meals and save some serious cash.

Cooking at home can be incredibly versatile and fun. 

• Themed dinner nights where you invite friends over to enjoy meals from your home country and each of you takes turns in hosting. 

• Run a study group where everyone brings a dish of home cooked food to share.

• Gather a few friends to each make different meals in bulk and share between you so your freezer is full of a variety of nutritious food for the weeks ahead. 

The more you get into the habit of cooking at home, the more you will reap the benefits. It’s even possible that you will inspire your housemates and friends to do the same.

When you finish serving up dinner at home, put a portion aside for next day lunch, or into freezer friendly containers for another time. Be sure to label the container with what’s in it and the date you cooked it. 

It’s also worth investing in a thermos, lunchbox, and drink bottle so you can tote the leftovers of homemade meals and snacks to university. Doing this will reduce waste, save time, money and ensure that you’re always prepared with nutritious options, even on the busiest of days. 

It's not uncommon for people to prefer fast options for food when they’re busy, but it’s worth noting that many ‘convenient’ foods such as take-away fast foods are notoriously less nutritious, more expensive, and it can be hard to break the habit of relying on these options for your main meals and snacks. 

If these fast-food options form a large part of your daily nutrition, the potential impacts to your health could see you spending more money on health care treating the results of a poor diet. 

You will also be potentially negatively impacting your academic performance.

The cumulative effects of eating a healthy diet as a student are well worth it for your overall wellbeing, budget, and academic outcomes. Start with one tip at a time and gradually make changes to your food habits to see results. 

Remember that your student services team are always on hand to answer any questions and provide guidance while you’re studying in Australia, including health related concerns.