During a busy weekday, the Grab and Go feature at the dining halls can be extremely convenient when there’s no time to sit down for a meal. It’s also a great venue if you want to take your meal outside in the (finally!) warm and sunny springtime weather. However, in exchange for convenience comes a much more limited menu. Frequent users of Grab and Go can easily become bored with the options offered for the student on the go.
However, it doesn’t have to be limited! There are several ways to rejuvenate the Grab and Go experience by using the few food items there to create new breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
1. Peanut Butter Jelly Sandwich
Take a bagel (2 points) and one or two packets of peanut butter and jelly to make an American lunch staple from your childhood. Another option is the peanut butter and banana sandwich. Take a banana (1 point), slice it, and put the slices in between two bagel halves with peanut butter to make this sandwich.
2. Apple Cream Cheese Sandwich
This sandwich might sound unorthodox, but it is quite tasty and a great change from the typical Grab and Go experience. It can be made from one bagel (2 points), 1 or 2 packets of cream cheese, and a sliced apple (1 point). Pear (1 point) can be substituted for the apple or added with the apple.
3. Veggie Sandwich
Put the contents of a garden salad (3 points) in between two bagel halves (2 points) for a healthy, satisfying sandwich. You can also use a packet of salad dressing as the spread for your sandwich.
4. Salad Toppings
Want to spruce up a pre-packaged salad (3 points) from Grab and Go? Get creative with snack items (1 point each) to make a boring meal an exciting one! Options include peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, cereal/granola and goldfish instead of or in addition to croutons. You can also add boiled eggs (2 points) or pita chips with hummus (2 points) to a garden salad (3 points) to make it a more substantial meal.
5. Cracker substitutes for soup
Like salad, sometimes soup (2 points) can use a culinary helping hand. Goldfish (1 point) are a great substitute for soup crackers! You can also add pita chips (2 points) to a warm soup to make it extra delicious. Another idea is to get a bagel (2 points) and dunk it into your soup like a baguette!
6. Spice up your Oatmeal
Oatmeal (3 points) is a great option for a simple, filling meal, but it can be even better if milk is used instead or water. This makes the oatmeal much creamier. You can also add chunks of apples, pears and/or bananas (1 point each) to add texture and flavor to your oatmeal.
These are not the only items on the “secret menu” at the Grab and Go. With a little creativity, any student can make a delicious, interesting meal for themselves while saving time in his or her schedule. Enjoy your Grab and Go!
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