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Student food "staples" parcel - suggestions?

VJsmum
Posts: 6,999 Forumite


HI,
my goddaughter is going off to Uni at the end of the month.
She has been stocked up with pots and pans, cutlery, plates etc.
I thought I would put together a "hamper" or "parcel" of staples that would help her cook and which can be pricey.
So, things like a small bottle of olive oil, mixed herbs, chilli etc
Any suggestion as to what might be good?
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my goddaughter is going off to Uni at the end of the month.
She has been stocked up with pots and pans, cutlery, plates etc.
I thought I would put together a "hamper" or "parcel" of staples that would help her cook and which can be pricey.
So, things like a small bottle of olive oil, mixed herbs, chilli etc
Any suggestion as to what might be good?
If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.
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I wanna be in the room where it happens
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Comments
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My son goes at the end of the month.
I've got a bag with stuff in
Pasta
Rice
Passata
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Herbs
Teabags
Coffee
Sugar
Oxo cubes
Baked beans
Squash
TunaTry to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.0 -
Coffee mate xSeptember Grocery Challenge £144.05/£2000
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Also check if said student want's to cook, a work colleague bought kitchen stuff and food, none of it was used, her DD lived on takeaways and ran up thousands more debt than needed.
HesterChin up, Titus out.0 -
Spices and a copy of The Takeaway Secret?They call me Dr Worm... I'm interested in things; I'm not a real doctor but I am a real worm.0
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I lived on pasta and stuff on toast and takeaways in my first year of uni, mainly because I couldn't stand the people I got stuck with in my halls of residence so didn't want to have to see them in the kitchen. They also wrecked all the equipment that l bought and contributed nothing themselves. There was also no storage space for food fresh or dry. When I moved into a house with a friend in the second year that was much better so perhaps save the best stuff for then0
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A lot of student kitchens are pretty unpleasant and not terribly well equipped so unless the student is motivated or particularly likes cooking, I think things which can be prepared in under 30 minutes are generally a good idea. I'd suggest a student cookbook, rather than the takeaway secret, unless she is a very ambitious and experienced cook.
A few more food ideas to go with those already posted. Some of these I wouldn't suggest to OSers, but most OSers have several years of cooking day in and day out of experience, a full kitchen that isn't shared, and all of the right kit.
jam and peanut butter
pesto
chilli powder for one of the spices
cous cous
A few sponge mixes (normally, I wouldn't suggest this, but a student may want to bake once or twice but not enough to bother with a whole bag of flour, sugar, a pot of levening etc.)
a pot of hot chocolate mix
Mayo, ketchup, vinegar
If you think she'd eat it, smash
A few tins of soup, with some cold medicine a bottle of hand gel and some tissues.
A bag of porridge and instructions w/ measurements for how to make it in the microwave. If she knows how to do this she could save a fortune on breakfast.
and check to make sure she has a tin opener, a cheese grater and a sharp knife.0 -
My son goes this month.
I have got him some washing up sponges, washing up liquid, MF cloths among other thingsDon't put it DOWN; put it AWAY"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness" Emily DickinsonJanice 1964-2016
Thank you Honey Bear0 -
I would also recommend decent toilet roll, a pot of curry powder (makes lots of things nicer), and a flask/thermal mug. Possibly even a mini fridge/kettle for her room.Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps....
LB moment - March 2006. DFD - 1 June 2012!!! DEBT FREE!
May grocery challenge £45.61/£1200 -
A lot of halls ban mini fridges so best to check if doing that
Tin opener with a bottle opener on it
If she doesn't usually cook I'd go for a "Basic meals in 30 mins" type book and a supermarket voucher .
I'd add tea bags/jar of decent coffee and a set of very distinctive mugs (easier to retrieve when "borrowed" and a big tin of biscuits for Freshers week and meeting new people on her floor.I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole
MSE Florida wedding .....no problem0 -
I'd include a student cookbook with it. There's a little square one with yellow and orange cover. Think it's just called The Student Cookbook or similar. I'm a student and I just eat the way I did when I wasn't, so just include what you would consider to be staples in your own house. Think the cookbook also has a storecupboard essentials list, but not sure as have since passed it on to my SIL who started uni after me.October Grocery Challenge: £20.65/£150
September Grocery Challenge: I lost track/£200
August Grocery Challenge: £92.11/£1000
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