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Learning Goals
- You will learn about the potential benefits of cooking at home, including insights into potential benefits to your health and budget
- You will learn about affordable grocery stores in Groningen and the Netherlands in general
- You will learn about shopping habits that have proven to be useful when trying to avoid food and money waste
- You will discover some simple and low-cost recipes that can be made on a daily basis
- You will learn about the comparison of take-out food to home cooking, and the potential downsides of take-out food
Introduction
Whether you want it or not, food plays an important part in everybody’s life. Some of my fondest memories have been framed by the joy I get from cooking and eating. To me, my favourite holiday, Christmas Eve, revolves less around any religious meaning than it does around a lavish meal shared between loved ones. Food is also the one thing I have fluctuating feelings about on a daily basis. It can be so rewarding to eat a good meal after a long day. Sometimes my roommates have cooked for me before I come home from university and being greeted with smells of fresh pasta or Mexican spices being burned on the grill sparks excitement and makes my mouth water (yes, this is a reference to Pavlov’s dog, which you will inevitably learn all about very soon if not already). Food can also be a great companion to any TV show or movie, and eating makes any social event more enjoyable, if you ask me.
I could go on about how great food can be, but however much you want to romanticise eating, it can also be the most annoying chore that you cannot run away from. I dread nothing more than being swamped with assignments, looking up from my readings and realising that it is already past three o’clock and not only have I not eaten anything since breakfast, but the fridge is also empty. Eating three times a day can easily turn into spending a majority of the day running back and forth from the grocery store, standing in the kitchen preparing meals for multiple hours, just for your salt to fall into the soup, and you having to order a pizza after all. If done poorly, cooking can cost more time, money, and effort than it should — all good reasons to give yourself a little head start on your inevitable culinary journey by reading our short guide. Whether you have tons of experience providing for yourself or if this is your first time away from home, whether you are a Chef or more of a regular at the frozen pizza section at your local supermarket, we aim to provide some value by sharing some of the lessons we have learned throughout the past few years, giving tips and meals tailored to the life in Groningen so you can perhaps avoid some of the common fallacies that we have all tumbled into.
How to Eat Like a King Without Spending Like One
Let’s face it, student life in Groningen has to offer a lot of nice things: bikes, beers, and bitterballen. Chances are high that your bank account is not one of them. So when it comes to grocery shopping, you need a strategy that feeds you, while at the same time not starving your bank account so that you cannot afford bikes, beers, and bitterballen anymore. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to avoid spending half of your student loan on groceries. First of all, you need to know where to go, then what to buy and lastly how to avoid “accidentally” spending 7€ on a Venti Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks every other day.
So where should you shop?
First up the supermarkets. When it comes to shopping on a budget, Lidl and Aldi are probably your best options. At Lidl, you can get most of your daily essentials, and they have surprisingly good-quality produce and – because I am German, this matters deeply to me – the best fresh bread in town with a small price tag. Aldi is even more minimalistic than Lidl and sometimes has even lower prices.
If you’re looking for more variety or something fancy, shopping at Jumbo or Albert Heijn is a good way to supplement the basics you got at Lidl or Aldi. A lot of times these two are more expensive, but they also have a greater selection of products. Especially at Albert Heijn – but certainly also wise when shopping at other stores – it is essential that you pay attention at the Bonus Card deals.
Another really good option is to go to Groningen’s local markets. The Vismarkt, which is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, is a good place to buy fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese and fish. Prices are often lower than in supermarkets, and the quality is usually good.
What should you buy?
Buying in bulk can be a brilliant money-saver, at least if you do it right. Dry foods like pasta, rice, oats, and lentils are perfect bulk buys. They last forever, they’re cheap, and you’ll always have a base for a quick meal when you’re too tired to think. Lidl, for example, offers 2.5-kilo rice bags, which save you quite a lot of money. Frozen veggies or meat also work well, especially if you’ve got a bit of freezer space.
That being said, I can tell you from experience that bulk buying becomes a bad idea real fast if you buy fresh produce, but your tiny student fridge is already overflowing with leftovers from last week’s failed meal prep experiment.
How to avoid impulse buys
Lastly, let’s talk about the little things that add up, like the expensive coffee at a café or snacks from the vending machine. These things might seem like a harmless threat and you might say spending a few euros here and there isn’t a big deal – but it really adds up over time. One way to avoid this is to give yourself a small budget for these kinds of extras each week and try to stick to it. That way, you can still enjoy a treat now and then, but it won’t mess with your overall spending. I can tell you from experience, that it also helps not to shop when you’re hungry or tired. Those are always the moments when buying random snacks or expensive drinks feels way too tempting. So simply keeping some snacks at home and making your own coffee instead of buying it can already save you quite a bit. The goal is not to cut out everything. You just want to avoid spending your food money on stuff that doesn’t really keep you full.
Recipes
As a student myself, I know how difficult it can be to cook yourself a nice meal; the preparation alone can seem like a mountain of work. That is why it is important to have quick and simple recipes ready to go. In my experience, starting this way also gives a great opportunity to work your way up to more complex recipes because you realize that cooking may not actually be as complex and annoying as you think.
The most important thing is to have recipes ready-to-go for whatever type of food you’re in the mood for. If you have a wide array of options that do not overwhelm you when reading the instructions, you will be much more motivated to cook yourself a meal, instead of… idk… make yourself a frozen pizza.
In the following section, I will give a handful of recipes for different types of meals, which should cover the majority of cravings that you may have. The purpose of these recipes is to give you the opportunity to give you a manageable starting point for fuelling your body well without feeling discouraged by the amount of time and money that needs to be invested. Ultimately, the goal is for you to discover a love for cooking through these introductory meals and realize that it is not as scary or overwhelming as it seems.
A small side-note before I start going into the recipes: I would recommend you to always cook quite a bit more that you are actually planning to eat. Although, meal-prep can get boring and repetitive, it is a very cost-effective way for, especially lazy cooks (cough cough), to eat proper meals every day with very little effort. This was you only need to go shopping up to once a week, only make one big mess in the kitchen that needs to be cleaned every couple of days, only need to think about what you want you are going to eat once or twice a week, and then for all the other days you are ready-to-go. The great thing about meal-prep is also that you will have a nice lunch that you can take with you to long study sessions in the library or for days where you have classes all day and do not want to pay for overpriced cafeteria food.
Pasta and Rice
These two foods should be staple ingredients in your household, since, if they are bought in bulk, are an affordable way to give your meals some density. The fact that they taste great and can be used in a wide array of ways, since they can be paired with virtually anything, also does not hurt. Here I have some of my favorite cheap, easy, yet still incredibly tasty recipes, that should cover most of your cravings.
A classic – Spaghetti Carbonara (ca 25 minutes)
Ingredients
(for two portions)
- 240g pasta of your choice
- 100g pancetta (or a different italian ham)
- 2 eggs
- 40g parmesan (grana padano for something cheaper)
- 40g pecorino romano
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Dice the bacon or ham not too finely. Sauté in olive oil. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente – by no means soft, as the pasta will still cook a little later. Towards the end of the cooking time, collect some of the cooking water (1 – 2 espresso cups) or simply skim it off.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the two cheeses. Season lightly with salt, grind black pepper to taste and add.
- Reheat the bacon or ham. Add the reserved cooking water and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and stir. Add the egg and cheese mixture. Allow to set slightly and stir well so that the mixture gently coats the pasta.
Now for something lighter and a little more veggie friendly – Spaghetti with lemon-basilicum sauce (ca 15 minutes)
Ingredients
(for two portions)
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Half of a lemon (juice and zest)
- 150ml of cream
- 1 bunch of Basilicum
- 30g parmesan (grana padano)
- 200g pasta of your choice (I would recommend tagliatelle)
- Salt and pepper
- Optionally some roasted pine nuts to sprinkle on top
Preparation
- Heat the butter with a little lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon (a little more to taste) in a small pan and simmer briefly. Add the cream, finely chop the basil and add to the pan. Then mix in the grated Parmesan. Lower the temperature slightly, allow the sauce to simmer very briefly and season with salt and pepper.
- In the meantime, cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente, then drain and mix immediately with the sauce.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan shavings and, if desired, roasted pine nuts and freshly ground pepper.
A Cosy Meal for a Winter Night – Chicken-Pineapple Curry with Reis (ca 35 minutes)
Ingredients
(for two portions)
- 250 g chicken breast fillet(s) (or turkey breast if necessary)
- For a veggie option just omit this and add another veggie like bell peppers
- 1 tin of pineapple chunks, approx. 340 g
- 100 ml cream
- 100 g cream cheese
- 2 spring onion(s), cut into fine rings
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder or vegetable stock powder
- 2 bags of rice, 125 g each
- chili powder
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Cook the rice (TIP: start the cooking in cold water and bring it to the boil, whilst the washed rice is already in – do not stir the rice)
- Skin the meat, wash and cut into cube-sized pieces
- Fry in a pan with a little oil
- When it starts to color slightly, add the honey, the spring onions and garlic and sauté briefly
- Drain the pineapple and collect the juice, then add the pineapple pieces to the pan and sauté briefly. Add the curry and fry everything briefly
- Deglaze with cream. Add the processed cheese in pieces and let it melt
- Bring everything to a boil, season with salt, pepper, curry, stock powder, a little ground chili and the pineapple juice and then serve on top of the rice
For something low-carb and creative but still easy – filled oven zucchinis (ca 45 minutes)
Ingredients
(for two portions)
- 2 zucchinis, approx. 300 – 340 g each
- 150 g cream cheese
- 100 g mushrooms
- 1 small onion
- 1 garlic clove
- Cheddar cheese or Gouda, grated, as needed (approx. 80 – 100 g)
- salt and pepper
Preparation
- Cut the washed zucchinis in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Finely chop the hollowed-out flesh
- Mix the chopped mushrooms, onions and garlic with the zucchini flesh
- Add the cream cheese and season with salt and pepper
- Mix everything well
- Spoon the filling into the hollowed-out zucchini halves and smooth out
- Place the stuffed zucchinis in a lightly greased oven dish
- Sprinkle the zucchinis with grated Cheddar or Gouda
- Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C top/bottom heat for approx. 20 – 25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown
- Serve with boiled rice or fresh baguette
For Something Light and Healthy – Couscous Salad (ca 35 minutes)
Ingredients
(for four portions)
- 250 g couscous
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 tin/s of corn
- 4 spring onions
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp curry paste, red, vegan
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- sugar
- Parsley, flat-leaf
- Chives or green onions
Preparation
- Pour the boiled stock over the couscous and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, wash and chop the vegetables and herbs.
- Mix the tomato paste, curry paste (vegans/vegetarians be careful, may contain prawns – use more tomato paste if necessary), rice vinegar, oil and soy sauce with the couscous, this works best with your hands
- Mix in the vegetables and season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and a little sugar.
- Add some flat-leaf parsley and onion leek rings.
A fun meal, that makes great leftovers for the next days’ lunch – wraps (ca 30 minutes)
Ingredients
(for three portions)
- 500 g minced meat, mixed
- For a veggie option replace with avocado and cucumber
- 2 bell bell pepper(s)
- 1 iceberg lettuce head
- 1 onion
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 200 ml sour cream or sour cream
- ½ packet of grated cheese
- salsa
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
Preparation
- Wash the peppers and tomatoes and cut into small cubes. Peel the onion and cut into small cubes. Wash the iceberg lettuce, drain and cut into strips.
- Fry the mince in a little oil in a pan, add the diced onion and season with salt and pepper. When the mince is well cooked, add the salsa (quantity to taste), half the diced peppers and tomatoes, 1/4 of the grated cheese and 2 tablespoons of sour cream, mix well and leave to stand briefly.
- Place 3 – 4 heaped tablespoons of the filling in the middle of each wrap, add some of the remaining diced peppers and tomatoes, the iceberg lettuce, the cheese and 1 – 2 teaspoons of sour cream and roll up or fold the wraps.
- Or: Put everything in small bowls and place them on the table with the wraps so that everyone can fill their own wraps as they wish.
Cooking vs. Take-Out
In Groningen, your dinner could cost as little as a few coins or as much as your bike deposit—depending on whether you’re wielding a spatula or scrolling Thuisbezorgd. In this module, we will talk about cooking yourself versus getting take-out.
Firstly, studies show that people who cook at home tend to eat healthier, consuming fewer calories, less sugar, and less fat compared to those who rely on take-out meals. Cooking at home not only gives you control over your ingredients, but it’s also consistently linked to healthier eating patterns. I mean come on, who buys a salad when eating out?! For instance, a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that people who frequently prepare meals at home consume fewer calories, less sugar, and less fat—even if they aren’t actively trying to eat healthier.¹
Meanwhile, many take-out meals are high in salt, saturated fat, and hidden additives like preservatives and flavor enhancers. These preservatives, such as nitrates or sulfites, help extend shelf life but are linked to negative health outcomes when consumed in excess.² A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine even showed that greater intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of early death.³
So while the convenience of take-out is tempting—especially during exam weeks or rainy days—cooking at home may be the better long-term investment, both for your wallet and your well-being.
Additionally, the University of Groningen´s own website states that students spend around 250€ a month for groceries. That’s roughly €8.30 a day—often enough to cover three meals if you’re cooking at home. Compared to the average price of a single take-out meal in Groningen (around €15–20), cooking for yourself is not only healthier, but also much better for your wallet.
Let’s just say you order take-out three times a week at €15 per meal—that’s nearly €200 per month, and that’s just for nine meals. Meanwhile, spending the same amount on groceries could easily get you 30–35 home-cooked meals, if not more. In other words, for the cost of convenience, you’re sacrificing both volume and nutritional control.
For students trying to stick to a tight monthly budget—especially in a city where rent and energy bills are already a major expense (Which we all know is the case in Groningen), cooking at home is one of the most effective ways to reduce financial stress. And let’s be honest: nothing feels quite as satisfying as eating a good meal that you made yourself for just a couple of euros.
Now, of course, times can get stressful, deadlines creep up, and suddenly your only dinner option is a spoonful of peanut butter and a slice of stale bread. Take-out can’t always be avoided—and that’s totally fair. We’re not here to guilt-trip anyone or pretend we’ve never caved and ordered food after a long day.
So when you do treat yourself, make it worth it! Here are three student-approved spots in Groningen where you can eat well without completely wrecking your budget:
- Magoya
Craving sushi or a warm bowl of donburi? Magoya is a local favorite for Japanese food with generous portions and high quality. Meals average around €15, making it a great go-to for a slightly fancier (but still student-manageable) dinner. - FLFL
This falafel hotspot is a must-visit for plant-based and meat-eating students alike. A loaded FLFL wrap will only set you back around €10, and the crispy falafel paired with their house sauces never disappoints. - De Pastafabriek
Fresh pasta, rich sauces, and a relaxed vibe—what more could you want? Most meals are around €15, and their rotating specials and big portions make it a reliable pick for comfort food without spending a fortune.
With places like these, you can still satisfy cravings without blowing your grocery budget. Just maybe don’t make it every night—your wallet (and your arteries) will thank you.
References
1. Wolfson, J.A., & Bleich, S.N. (2015). Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention? Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
2. Srour, B., et al. (2019). Ultra-processed food intake and risk of mortality: results from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. American Journal of Preventive Medicine3. Nilson, E.A.F., et al. (2025). Premature Mortality Attributable to Ultraprocessed Food Consumption in 8 Countries. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.02.018