As any student will know, when money is short, food is never the highest priority when it comes to laying out the cash. Attempting to survive on £2.25 a week has led to some interesting meal experiments.

Cheesy Peas

The ultimate student meal.

• Take one can of cheap 'no-frills' peas. Empty into a saucepan and boil until cooked.

• Drain the liquid from the pan, being careful to retain the peas, and add as much cheap cheese as you can afford.

• Stir the mixture, heating gently, until the cheese has melted and serve.

Toasted Sandwiches¹

The marvellous thing about toasted sandwiches is that whatever you stick in them, they all end up tasting the same so you can really go to town with the cheapness of ingredients.

Lettuce is a good one. Whack a few leaves of a 49p Iceberg lettuce between two slices of bread and toast until the sandwich maker starts smoking. If you're feeling really daring, you could even put tomato in there too.

Sugar Puff Sandwiches

They smell a bit funny but taste nice enough. It certainly tastes nicer than it sounds.

• Take a box of Sugar Puffs and a loaf of bread. Holding a slice of bread in one hand, put some Sugar Puffs onto the centre of the bread making a little mound.

• Now clench your fist tightly, making the bread into a little doughy, and slightly sweaty, ball which binds together.

• Repeat and serve with a clove of parsley. Works best if you remove the crust first.

Wok Food

Not for those with sensitive stomachs.

• Take everything in the fridge that has started to smell and throw into the wok.

• Add large quantities of Worcestershire sauce, stir and cook at a very high temperature until smouldering.

• Scrape onto a plate and serve with a cup of very strong coffee to take away the taste.