They’re the places we go to three or four times a day. We spend more time here than we probably realize, depending on them to get us through our days. Dining halls are a part of our daily routine and eating the same thing time and time again quickly gets old. With our meal plan being our only ticket to food, unless we dip into the nonexistent personal funds we have as college students, it can be hard to stop ourselves from eating the same thing every week.
I would rather use the little amount of money I make on something I can wear, rather than a meal to get me out of the endless cycle of the same three things I eat at the lovely dining halls at the University of Maryland. Don’t get me wrong, I love my buffalo chicken wraps, steak and cheeses and roast beef sandwiches but sometimes you just need a break.
“Sometimes I don’t even want to go to the dining hall because I get the same few things every time,” said Diana Cronenberg, a sophomore biology major. “After a while they just aren’t appealing to me anymore.”
I have come up with five creative ways for you to free yourself from the endless cycle:
1. Mix and Match
Everyone loves the sandwich line because you get to create your own meal, but you don’t have to stop there. Brooke Hyman, a sophomore nutrition major, likes to add some new flavor to her favorite wraps and sandwiches by bringing different dressings from the salad bar to the line with her. This is a simple, but creative way to bring your favorite sandwich from bland to brand new.
2. Flip and Flop
Living on one side of campus, you find yourself gravitating to the dining hall closest to you because of easy access. Instead, one night a week you could take the extra time to head over to the other dining hall. While the meals are the same, a change of scenery can make your dining hall experience a little more exciting. It also gives you the opportunity to run into people you normally wouldn’t.
3. All You Can Eat
If you haven’t already, you can grab a couple friends and check out the new dining hall 251 North in the Denton Community. While there are only a limited amount of times you are able to attend, we should still use it to our advantage. Also, why would you want to miss out on eating way too much and sharing a couple of good laughs with some friends?
4. Get Creative
The nice thing about the dining halls is there are a lot of different ingredients you can use to your own special meal. Megan Vimini, a junior dietetics major, uses these to her advantage by “add[ing] cinnamon to the waffle batter and top[pping] with ice cream.” Another way many students add a little excitement to their meals is by mixing drinks, such as, Arnold palmers and Shirley temples. You just have to think out of the box.
5. Treat Yourself
Last but not least, you should always splurge every once in a while. Get dressed up and head over to Adele’s with your roommates and enjoy some good eats. It’s the closest thing to real food you can enjoy with your meal plan and it’s a plus that the food is delicious.
It’s easy to keep to our routines and stick to what is quick and convenient, but sometimes we have to remember that what we eat has an effect on our mood, which can also lead to having an effect on our schoolwork. Keep yourself happy and spice up your eating habits!