Make your own Roots
Eternally bored by the salad bar? Don’t worry, we all are. This doesn’t mean you have to settle for pizza just yet. Take a page out of Roots’ playbook and start with rice as your base. You can always find rice somewhere in the dining hall; you just have to look for it. Add whatever salad bar items you desire and then see what else you can find at other stations. Grab vegetables from the taco station, mushrooms and peppers from the burger station, there’s bound to be grilled chicken somewhere and you’re set! Who needs $8 Roots when you have a meal plan?
— Marlena Becker
Take a lap
Walking into the dining hall without a game plan is a surefire way to end up with a plate of pizza and french fries every time. Have a strategy, but don’t be afraid to roll with the punches if a new dish catches your eye. Surveying all the options will guarantee a meal that leaves you more satisfied, and you might discover a new favorite that alleviates the repetition of dining hall classics.
— Sarah Goodman
The waffle sundae sandwich
Dining halls may not be good for much, but boy, can they bring it when it comes to dessert. Specifically, I’m talking waffle sundae sandwiches. To make this, you first make a waffle and either split it in half or make a second waffle if you're really feeling the need to treat yourself. Then, add your choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream on top of the bottom waffle and sprinkle an assortment of toppings on the ice cream. The dining halls usually have rainbow and chocolate sprinkles, chocolate chips and sometimes coconut shavings. Once you've decked out the ice cream with toppings, put one half of the waffle on top of the ice cream to make your sandwich. I recommend using a fork — it can get messy!
— Margaret Wright
Use to-go coffee cups for more than just coffee
Don't have time to enjoy a full breakfast before class one morning? Fill a to-go coffee cup with oatmeal and peanut butter, cereal and milk or yogurt and granola, grab a plastic spoon and take breakfast with you to class. You can also fill to-go cups with your favorite snacks from the salad bar like carrot sticks, grapes, goldfish and maybe even croutons — because who doesn't like croutons? Most importantly of all, when you're in need of an afternoon pick-me-up, fill your to-go cup with ice cream and all the toppings. When you put the lid on top, no one knows what you're truly hiding inside.
— Emily Kalafian
Grab some fruit for later
We pay a lot of money for our meal plans. In order to get the most out of it, I like to grab a few fruits from the dining hall to eat at home later. It’s perfect when you don’t have enough time to grab breakfast in the morning or want a healthy snack in between meals! The O-Hill fruit section is quite nice this year and you can usually find whole fruits near the salad sections at Newcomb.
— Meghan Shinton
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