Whether you have grown up eating yummy fast food or being pampered with home-cooked meals every day, switching to three meals a day in a college dining hall can be a bit of a rough transition. Dining halls have a reputation for being underwhelming and unappealing no matter where you go to school, but they don’t have to be. Here are some tricks to making the most out of your experience:
1. It’s all in the approach
If you enter Nelson Dining Hall for the first time expecting the worst of the worst, that’s probably how it’s going to seem (and taste). Every dining hall on campus actually has a lot of good options, so be optimistic about what you’re going to find.
2. Surround yourself with good people (and meet new ones)
The dining halls are great places to study, unwind, be alone or be with friends. If the food on your plate isn’t the best, just make sure the people you’re surrounded by are. Enjoy routine meals with your friends or make it your goal to sit with someone new each day.
3. Be healthy
One myth about dining halls is that it’s difficult to eat healthy. Let’s be honest—the “freshman fifteen” is definitely real for some people, but it doesn’t have to be for you. Instead of hopping in the burger line every day, make a salad with fresh vegetables or enjoy a vegetarian or vegan choice, which should be available for every meal.
4. Splurge and eat deliciously
On the other hand, don’t miss out on the cheese quesadillas at Nagel or the chocolate fountain that is brought out for special events in Nelson. Whether it’s sweet or savory, there are certainly options to appeal to the comfort food craving or sweet tooth in all of us.
5. Change it up
If you live in Centennial Halls, it may be tempting to never leave the building for a meal when the dining hall is right downstairs, but making the trek to Nelson or Nagel can be a good variation when you feel like eating something different. Each dining hall has different options, so be sure to scope them out and find your favorite choices.
6. Alternate on-campus and off-campus meals
It may tend to kill your bank account, but sometimes you just need to get off campus for some Qdoba or Noodles and Company. To make the dining hall food less tiresome, set a goal to eat out once a week or so. Go even further and splurge for a meal downtown every once in awhile. If you are from the Denver area, lucky you—take advantage and go home for a meal on the weekend, and maybe even bring some new friends.
7. Try everything once
One of the most important things to keep in mind while on the dining hall diet is variation. Even if you eat in the same dining hall all the time, don’t ignore the omelet line or the pizza station just because you’ve never been before. Give everything a try so you know what you do and don’t like and so you never miss a hidden gem (like the brownies in Nelson).
8. Break the rules
Don’t be afraid to try out your own creations. If it’s Taco Tuesday and you aren’t feeling it, combine the taco stand with the salad bar to make a taco salad. If a plain sandwich doesn’t sound good, use a fresh bagel as your bread. Add ice cream to your waffles for a sweeter treat. There are more options than you think, so don’t be afraid to get creative.
9. Make sure you have the meal plan that’s right for you
It will probably be trial and error for the first and even second quarter at DU, but make sure that you have chosen the correct meal plan. You don’t want to end the quarter with 50 extra meal swipes, and you also don’t want to be rationing them so you don’t run out. If you pay careful attention to how often you cook for yourself, how often you eat out and how many swipes you’re using each week, you’ll be sure to pay the correct amount for the right meal plan.
10. Remember that dining halls aren’t forever
If you really miss home cooking or if you find yourself being too picky to really enjoy dining hall food, try not to forget that it won’t last forever. In a couple months you’ll probably be home with things back to normal, and in a few years you’ll have the independence to eat exactly what, where and when you desire.
