Eating in a dining hall for every college student is a daily adventure.
Sometimes it may be hard to find options that you like or on other days, the dining hall is filled with all of your personal favorites.
Being a sophomore in college, I have found a few ways that every college student can hack their dining hall to make your eating experience five stars. Thanks to my amazing friends and all of their creativity, here are a few hacks that we use on the daily.
1. Make A Chipwich
A personal sweet treat favorite of my own, the chipwich is a well-known hack that I use a lot. Snag yourself two cookies from your dessert section and then take these cookies and put a scoop of whatever ice cream you like in between. Voila! You now have a homemade ice cream sandwich that gives you both a little bit of all your favorite desserts.
2. Toast Your Cookies
Shoutout to my friend Megan for teaching me this hack because there's no turning back. Get yourself your favorite cookies (personally, I love the chocolate chip or the s'mores cookies), then go to the toasters and run them through. It will make your cookies divine. They will be nice and warm and a little melted, just like fresh-baked out of the oven. You're welcome; the game has changed.
3. Breakfast Hack
To Emma, thank you for teaching me how to start my mornings right. Grab yourself a to-go coffee cup, fill that up with milk and cover it. Then grab another to-go coffee cup and fill it with your select cereal or granola (whatever floats your boat). You now have your milk and cereal ready for the morning. It will be fresh and not soggy. Also, you have a to-go cup to eat it in on the way to your 8 a.m. Enjoy it!
4. Banana with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips
One of my all time favorite snacks/desserts at my dining hall is a banana boat! It's a healthier option for when you're craving something sweet! It can be done in the dining hall or in your dorm room. Grab yourself a banana and peel back one part, then get some peanut butter, usually located at the toast station and smear to your heart's content. Then, dress up your banana boat with milk chocolate or white chocolate chips. Enjoy the snack with a friend or late at night while writing that essay; it will give you a protein boost.
5. Grilled Cheese
My friend Megan and I deal with the same struggle; the grilled cheese is always in a panini press. Not that it is a bad thing, it's just not like the buttery, lovely grilled cheese that you know and love from home. So, grab yourself some butter from the toast station. Get the bread and cheese of your choice from the deli and then cook it in the stir fry station. You can make yourself your own home grilled cheese and ditch the panini pressed grilled cheese.
6. Stir-Fry Station Hacks
There are so many stir fry station hacks that I know and have come to love. First, cook your eggs there in the morning; it's faster than the egg line. You can also ask for whole eggs and cook your own fried eggs. Second, cook your eggs and veggies on separate sides of the pan when cooking fried rice. Last, always add in cut up chicken and add to your stir fry. It's a way to add a little texture and get some more flavor.
Use these hacks to make every day at your college dining hall a bit more fabulous!
