To help you survive partying away your first few weeks of uni, or to balance a busy social life with a full-time job, final-year nutrition student Jess Simpson has shared some fresher recipes – for when you’re feeling like you will “never drink again!”…

The idea behind these mini recipes is:
 
Everything here was purchased for under £20 (providing you with many leftovers) from a local Sainsbury’s – meaning it is cheap, affordable and accessible
 
Healthy and nutritious food; eating junk all day will actually make you feel really sluggish and more nauseous
 
These recipes are hearty and designed to taste naughtier than they are
 
Funny disclaimer: these have been trialled & tested when hungover and I can confirm it works!

Morning Rehydrating Drink

A hangover is essentially when the body is in a state of dehydration following a night of drinking lots of alcohol. It can cause you to feel nauseous, tired and irritable.
 
These symptoms are usually more severe when you first wake up, highlighting the importance of hydrating your body when you first get the chance, so you don’t spend the whole day feeling rubbish. Start the day with this refreshing lemon and ginger drink.
 

 

Ingredients

 
1 lemon (2-3 slices)

Handful of mint

Handful of blueberries or raspberries

Ginger

Method

1. Cut up the lemon into slices
2. Add the mint, berries, and lemon into a glass of iced water
3. Leave for 10 minutes to infuse
4. Alternatively, if you are super organised, you can make the drink the night before so it’s ready when you wake up

Benefits

Lemon: promotes hydration when added to water, good source of vitamin C, and aids digestion – which may be tricky when you feel nauseous
 
Mint: a very calming and soothing herb that isused to help an upset stomach, nausea and indigestion
 
Blueberries: very high in nutrients and antioxidants
 
Ginger: has powerful medicinal properties and can treat many forms of nausea

Margherita Pizza Bagel

Ingredients

Sesame seed / wholegrain bagel

Tomato puree

Handful of spinach

1 large handful of baby mushrooms

2-3 slices of cheese (or vegan cheese)

1tsp olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Cut the bagel in half and lightly toast it
3. Lather a generous layer of tomato puree on each side
4. Place a slice of cheese on each half and top with a handful of spinach on each
5. Slice up the mushrooms and place on top of each bagel slice
6. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted
7. Alternatively, if you have a toastie machine, then throw in an extra slice of cheese between each bagel slice and toast for 5 minutes, or until melted

Benefits

Sesame seed bagels: made of ‘good for you fats’, a good source of healthy fibre. Bagels aren’t the healthiest option all the time, so always try and get wholegrain or sesame seed versions. Everything in moderation is absolutely fine and when you’re hungover, you really need to eat carbohydrates to soak up the alcohol in your stomach
 
Tomato puree: great source of vitamin C – which supports the immune system, high in vitamin A which supports immunity and is also a key nutrient for heart function
 
Spinach: nutrient-richvegetable high in potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium
 
Mushrooms: high in protein, fibre, B vitamins and powerful antioxidants – which support the immune system
 
Cheese: contains a host of nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin A. Cheese can be fattening, so do enjoy in moderation. Alternatively, vegan cheese is cholesterol free, contains less saturated fat and contains dietary fibre, aswell as calcium, vitamin B12 and doesn’t contain any hormones.
 
Olive oil: rich source of healthy monounsaturated fats, contains large amounts of antioxidants and has very strong anti-inflammatory properties

Hearty Herby Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

1 can of chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato puree

½ medium red onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 handful of mushrooms

2 handfuls of spinach

1 tbsp olive oil

2 handfuls of peas

Cheese to melt (or vegan cheese)

Salt & pepper to season

1 handful of fresh basil

80g of wholegrain pasta (or gluten free if you prefer)

Alternatively, if you’re craving something meaty, you can add some chicken breast, sausages (vegan options available in most Sainsbury’s stores), or fried pancetta pieces.

Method

1. In a large saucepan add boiling water to the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft. Add in frozen peas when the pasta is 2 minutes away from being cooked and stir well
2. Chop the red onion and mushroom finely, then crush the garlic cloves
3. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the red onion, mushroom and garlic on a medium heat
4. Lightly fry until onions and mushrooms turn slightly brown
5. Add the tomato puree and stir into the vegetables
6. Lower the heat and add in the chopped tomatoes (you may need to stand back, or brace yourself as it can spit at you!)
7. Simmer for 7 minutes and add in the fresh basil, salt and pepper
8. Add the cheese into the sauce and stir, then remove from the heat
9. Serve up the pasta and top with the tomato sauce
10. Enjoy!

Benefits

Red onion: great source of fibre, folic acid and B vitamins
 
Garlic: highly nutritious, can combat sickness and nausea
 
Peas: source of antioxidants, very high in protein and dietary fibre
 
Wholegrain pasta: source of dietary fibre, always opt for wholegrain if you can!
 
Basil: anti-inflammatory herb, natural antibacterial properties and powerful antioxidant
 
Chopped tomatoes: a great source of vitamin C, and lots of the nutrients are retained in the can during preservation process

Enjoy 😁