It’s Monday morning and the week is looking as far from “sylly” as it can get. You have to meet with your marketing group later, the stats homework you put off is finally due, you are four chapters behind in your philosophy reading, you haven’t done laundry in weeks, Pope Francis wants to meet with you during his visit, and you’ve been tasked with devising an immigration reform policy. Okay, maybe this is not your exact week, but sometimes it feels that crazy. What makes it even worse is when you feel like there is not even time to eat. No time to eat means not only will you have more trouble focusing on your work, but you might also struggle to do it with your usual cheery disposition.
Lucky for you, Notre Dame has a great, convenient thing called Grab n’ Go. You can take it to your class, to your meeting, or to do homework in the library during your lunch break. I did not learn about Grab n’ Go till halfway through my freshman year, which is unfortunate because, used correctly (and in moderation), I think Grab n’ Go is pretty good. Grab n’ Go lets you redeem your meal swipes to create your own individual sack lunch when you don’t have the time to sit down and eat your usual leisurely meal in the dining hall. Open Monday through Friday till 7pm, it is great whether you want a quick lunch or just to stock up on snacks.
Both South and North have a Grab n’ Go, and while they are mostly the same there are some key subtle differences.
I like South because it’s a larger, more open space. You can peruse and grab the sandwiches and salads yourself, unlike at north where they are behind the counter. You can also stock up on silverware at south. I’m not sure if this is an environmental effort on the part of North Grab n’ Go, but you can no longer grab a fork or spoon for yourself which is slightly annoying. Hello, I’m in college but I can’t be trusted with plastic spoons? North Grab n’ Go has almost all the same things as South, just in slightly smaller quantities. The one exception to this is North has Special K Flatbread Breakfast Sandwiches (Sausage, Egg & Cheese or Egg with Vegetables & Pepper Jack Cheese), which are actually pretty good.
Overall, Grab n’ Go is probably not your preferred lunch spot but it can be a great when you need to, well, grab and go. Some tips to remember: Grab n’ Go is open all day so if you are starving but there is no hot food in the dining hall (10am-11am) or the dining hall is closed (2pm-4pm), Grab n’ Go could be the play. Second, in an effort to be environmentally conscious, Grab n’ Go no longer offers the brown paper bags for your lunch. You can purchase a reusable green bag (for $1.20 – this money goes to supporting food from more local sellers) or just throw it in your backpack. Don’t forget too that Grab n’ Go is perfect if you have extra swipes towards the end of the week. You can stock up on popcorn, pop tarts, cereal, chips, etc.
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