International flavours, student smiles: easy meals for busy homes

Welcoming an international student into your home is a wonderful experience! Sharing meals is a great way to connect and learn about different cultures. But between work, school runs, and activities, finding time to cook elaborate meals can be a challenge.

Here are some tips for creating delicious and nutritious meals for your student, while keeping things simple and sustainable:

Embrace the power of bulk cooking:

• Double up: When you're prepping dinner, consider doubling the recipe. Leftovers can be transformed into quick lunches for yourself and/or students or another dinner later in the week. Bolognese sauce is a great one to prepare in bulk, as an example.

• Weekend warrior: Dedicate a few hours at the weekend to prepare some staple ingredients. Cook a large pot of lentil soup, roast a tray of vegetables, or marinate tofu for stir-fries. These prepped items make throwing together a healthy meal a breeze during busy weekdays.

Time-saving techniques:

• One-pan wonders: Sheet pan meals are a lifesaver! Toss together chicken, vegetables, and rice, season with your favorite spices, and let the oven do the work.

• Slow cooker magic: Utilise your slow cooker! Simply throw in ingredients in the morning and have a delicious meal waiting for you in the evening. Perfect for curries, stews, and pulled pork/beef.

Vegetarian delights:

• Meatless mondays: Introduce your student to the world of vegetarian cuisine! It's a win-win for the environment and your budget. Vegetarian chili, lentil burgers, and veggie fajitas are all crowd-pleasing options.

• Meat as a sidekick: When you do serve meat, consider using smaller portions and bulking up the dish with grains and vegetables. This reduces your overall meat consumption while still providing a satisfying meal.

Here are also some delightful and easy British dishes you can prepare to introduce your international students to classic British cuisine:

Savoury Treats:

• Fish and chips: This iconic dish is a must-try. Most fish and chip shops offer smaller portions, perfect for junior students.

• Bangers and mash: Simple sausages served on creamy mashed potatoes.

• Toad in the hole: Sausages baked in a giant Yorkshire pudding. Fun and delicious!

• Shepherd's pie/cottage pie: A hearty dish of ground lamb (Shepherd's) or beef (Cottage) with vegetables topped with mashed potato.

• Cheese on toast: A comforting snack of melted cheese on toasted bread. You can add a fried egg for extra protein. This could be a great breakfast on Sunday when they are likely to spend the day with their homestay.

• Eggs and soldiers: This classic involves boiling eggs and serving them alongside buttered toast cut into strips for dipping into the runny yolk. Huge fun!

• Porridge: A warm and hearty oatmeal dish, perfect for a chilly morning. You can add toppings like honey, fresh fruit, or nuts for extra flavour.

Sweet delights:

• Victoria sponge cake: A classic tea time treat with two layers of sponge cake filled with jam and whipped cream.

• Scones: Buttery scones served with jam and clotted cream.

• Apple crumble: A warm and comforting dessert with stewed apples topped with a crumbly oat and butter topping.

• Banoffee pie: A crowd-pleasing dessert with layers of bananas, toffee, and cream on a biscuit base.

These dishes all use familiar ingredients and are easy to prepare, making them perfect for introducing young international students to British flavours.

Bonus tip: explore together!

Cooking can be a fun bonding activity. Involve your student in planning meals and the preparation. They can help with simple tasks like washing vegetables, setting the table, or mixing ingredients. Suggest trying out new recipes from their home country and for them to cook one night, if they are up for it. It's a great way to learn about their culture and create lasting memories.

Remember, a healthy and happy student makes for a happy host family! By incorporating these tips, you can provide delicious meals without sacrificing time or sustainability.

Looking for recipe inspiration? There are countless websites and cookbooks dedicated to quick and easy meals. Some of our favourites include:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/quick-and-easy-family-recipes

www.tamingtwins.com/category/collections/under-30-minutes 

realfood.tesco.com/family-favourites.html 

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/school-night-suppers 

Have a recipe to share that always goes well with your students? Please email it to us to accommodation@languagesunited.co.uk

Let's all work together to create a welcoming and environmentally conscious experience for our international students!