Going to a Military Academy has many benefits and difficulties. A huge benefit that the Air Force Academy has is a campus cafeteria that provides cadets with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While a majority of the population is aware of the fact that this is absolutely not something to complain about, it’s agreeable that eating similar meals over and over can be a little tiring to the tastes buds-not to mention when the food is produced on a mass scale.

Even when a college student buys their own food, they are often under a tight budget, but there is a simple way to make low-expense and cafeteria foods more desirable! Go a little further than the average hot sauce, mayo, ketchup, or mustard approach, use your spices!!

1. Garlic- A personal favorite of mine. Garlic adds a good kick to any savory dish. I use it on almost any kind of meat or soup dishes, I even sprinkle it a little on my salads.The amount of garlic will depend on personal preference. I LOVE garlic, but if you haven’t tried it or are unsure then just sprinkle a small amount and add more later if preferred. I typically just buy garlic powder, but garlic salt will do just as well.If you have the means and a little extra cash lying around, try buying fresh garlic and sautéing it before adding it to your meal!

2. Paprika- This is good on various meats as well, I prefer to use this on Latin-inspired meals.

3. Ginger- Perhaps your cafeteria "honey ginger chicken" is lacking? Sprinkle some of this on there! I love putting this in my tea and semi-sweet meats and soups.

4. Curry Powder- I'm sure this will not disappoint. Good with plain tasting meat and rice dishes! I also like to couple this with something a little spicy like cayenne!

5. Cinnamon- On your toast, in your tea, or even on a baked sweet potato! Couple this with any kind of sweet dish and your tastebuds will thank you.

6. Olive oil and rice wine vinegar- make your own dressing that isn't coming out of a generic package. I use the lighter olive oil with sweet rice wine vinegar, perfect for any kind of salad.

7. Bouillon cubes- drop a couple of these into some hot water and cut up meat to put in there for some make shift soup!

Adding spices to your meals can make a world of difference! Buying a few at the local grocery store is fairly cheap, but well worth the cost. You can also buy small Tupperware containers to bring you spices with you to the cafeteria. I highly encourage buying and experimenting with a few spices to see what you like. Even salt and pepper can make a bland piece of chicken taste much better. So don't let yourself eat a food that you're bored with, spice it up!