Herald Archives
The first dozen or so times you eat at the dining hall, it’s not too bad.
In fact, I actually thought it was pretty great and was perfectly content eating there daily. But the multitude of charmingly-named food stations gives off a false impression of endless variety. Unlike the artificial crab meat in the salad line, the dining hall meals grow old. If you haven’t already, you’ll soon realize the only real “variety” in the dining hall is whether your fries are curly or straight, your sauce marinara or alfredo and your misery toasted or pressed.
To combat the perilous banality of the campus dining halls, take a look at this list of a few creative ways to revive the lost excitement of your dining hall experience. The university, of course, doesn’t make this task easy by placing restrictions on DIY food hacks (most notably, prohibiting adding things to waffle mix). Nonetheless, this list, which follows all dining hall guidelines, will add a much needed jolt to your bland dorm room diet.
1) Peanut Butter Cereal
Ever look at your morning corn flakes and think, “I wish this was stickier?” Add some protein to your breakfast with a peanut-butter-coated bowl.
Ingredients
One bowl of cereal ~ $0.79
One empty bowl ~ Free
Peanut Butter ~ Free
Milk ~ $1.19
2) Pizza Bagels
The childhood treat lives on. Throw some marinara and cheese on a bagel, then microwave it to create a hot circle of culinary ecstasy.
Ingredients
Bagel ~ $1.32
Shredded cheese from pasta line ~ Free
Marinara sauce from pasta line ~ Free
(Optional) Toppings from the salad bar ~ $0.50
3) Shirley Temple
Hit up the soda fountain and approximate the staple virgin drink of your adolescence.
Ingredients
¾ Sierra Mist
¼ Cranberry Juice Cocktail ~ $0.59
4) Breakfast Waffle Sandwich
Everything from the breakfast buffet just had a sweet orgy. You missed it, but you can still enjoy the outcome – take a bite of this early morning masterpiece.
Ingredients
Waffle mix ~ $2.07
Fried Egg ~ $0.69
Bacon ~ $1.25
Sausage ~ $1.25
5) Cookie Sandwich
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this compact heart attack. Your mouth will thank you, the rest of the body will hold a grudge for several days. Milk recommended.
Ingredients
Two cookies ~ $1.39
Peanut Butter ~ Free
Whipped Cream ~ Free
Cocoa Krispies ~ $0.29
Happy snacking!