As Michigan State University has proudly advertised across campus, we really do have the number one dining plan in the state. And it’s all thanks to our twelve weekly Combo Exchanges (CX). With plenty of different options for your A, B, and C items, the combos are limitless. While I like to tell myself I branch out, I usually end up sticking to the same couple of options each time. Here are some of my favorite choices, so next time you’re stuck wondering what to get, maybe you can think back to this list for some inspiration.
A-Items
An A-item in the CX system is a drink. While occasionally I’ll just get a bottle of SmartWater, my favorite go-to drink is a Bai tea (especially the caffeinated flavors). If I’m feeling tired of that, I’ll opt for a Snapple tea (mango flavor all the way). If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll grab an energy drink, but other than that, I stick to my artificial-tea-type drinks.
B-Items
A B-item in the CX system is an entrée. To be completely honest, sometimes I don’t even get a B item. But I’ve recently come to a realization – I need to give this school a run for their money and take full advantage of my twelve combos a week. I’ll usually opt for something snacky, like cereal., or something I can save for later like microwave mac and cheese. But sometimes, you really do just need a nice meal, and the Sparty’s fridge has some great options. My personal favorite is the grape cheese and crackers box, but those run out QUICK. The rush to the nearest Sparty’s on Sundays (restock day!) is no joke.
C-Items
A C-item in the CX system is a snack. C-items are the holy grail of MSU’s dining plan. There’s so much variety. You literally can’t go wrong. I have a plethora of C-items I would consider go-to’s: gum, Sour Patch Kids, Hippea’s white cheddar chickpea puffs, salt and vinegar chips… I’ve spent an embarrassingly long amount of time in the Case Hall Sparty’s trying to decide what to choose. But one snack would have to take the cake for the most-purchased C-item by me, and that is the Snack Factory brand pretzel crisps (the garlic parmesan flavor, and if they’re out of that, the buffalo wing flavor. If they’re out of that, I’ll spend an extra 5 minutes trying to figure out a back-up snack.) I swear to god I might have eaten these every single day last week. I don’t know what addictive quality they put in those flat little pretzels, but it gets me Every. Single. Time.
Overall Go-To Combo
Everyday, I go to the union to study before I have choir, and everyday, I get almost the same combo – a Cartago Pineapple Passionfruit Bai Boost Tea, a bag of Snack Factory Pretzels, and whatever boxed B-item I decide to take back to my dorm to store for a future meal. You would think that this would have gotten old by now, and it’s honestly kind of sad that it hasn’t, but no. I will eat this every single time without fail. I don’t know why, but I can’t function without it. It’s the perfect combo.
Now that you have some more ideas for your next trip to Sparty’s, maybe you won’t have to spend 10 minutes in front of the snack aisle deciding what to get (oops). I hope that my list inspired you to branch out, try some new options, and use the dining plan to your advantage while you can. Go Green!