Walking into the University of Maryland's diner, otherwise known as the North Campus Dining Hall, for the first time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Throughout the year, my friends and I were creative and came up with many ways to get around the struggle, of eating in the diner. So, to make your life easier as you transition to college, here's a list of things we wish we knew the first few weeks of school and all year.
Chicken
When making yourself a salad, you can ask the burger station for a piece of chicken to add some protein! (You can cut the line for this)
Quesadillas and Grilled Cheese![]()
Never a bad decision.
Cookies
A must. Bring some back for the dorm room too and you'll be glad you used up some points.
Omelettes
On the weekends they start at 11 a.m., but get there early, the line is long and takes forever, but it's so worth it. Also, you can always ask for your omelette to be cooked without oil and/or to make it with egg whites.
Snacks
For the alternative healthy snack, you can get carrot sticks and hummus from the vegan station. Or take fruit back to your room to add it to some oatmeal or eat it with your own natural peanut butter.
Stir-fry
I was unaware of this one until the end of the year, but you can put anything from the salad bar in a bowl and bring it to the vegan station to make stir fry ... And look back to #1 to finish it off! There are tons of sauces and things you can put on top like teriyaki sauce. But, if you want to be healthy, you can squeeze lemon on your veggies. Lemons will be where the condiments are, after you pay. You can also add your stir-fry to some plain pasta from the pasta station instead of getting the veggies there.
Wraps
When you have the right combo, this can save you every meal. Speak up! They can't hear through the glass and will mess up your sandwich. Don't be afraid to ask for more pickles or carrots, they can get stingy.
You can also get a wrap at the vegan station with veggies or humus and ask them not to wrap it ... bring it over to the sandwich station and ask for some meat to finish it off.
And when in doubt...the PB and J option is always a good one.
Inevitably, you will get bored from eating at the diner over and over and over again. Remember, you can go to 251 North, once a week in the Denton community next to the 24 Hour Shop. Or, if you're feeling adventurous you can trek over to the South Campus Dining Hall for some fresh stir-fry where they make it right in front of you. And worse case scenario, splurge a little and spend some money on one of Route 1's many options. You can never go wrong with ordering in some sushi or going to Chipotle or Noodles and Company. So freshmen, hopefully you will only have an on-campus dining plan for one year, and I wish you all the best of luck!
