Ahhh Cowan. AKA Centre College's beloved dining hall. There are two types of people on this campus: those who merely survive in Cowan, and those who thrive in Cowan. There is no in-between.
It takes a special person to survive in Cowan. It definitely requires a certain degree of...creativity. When the only options for lunch are chicken nuggs, pizza, or mushy vegetables, one must work their magic or starve.
The following is a small collection of some meal-tivity (see what I did there?) that can serve as inspiration for those who may be struggling to break the endless cycle of pizza and cheeseburgers in Cowan. Feel free to recreate these or put your own spin on them.
Breakfast
Rice crispies cereal with bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate milk.
Breakfast has to be one of the most repetitive meals in Cowan. Day in and day out (there is almost no variety). Throwing some bananas and pb into your cereal will add some different flavors as well as fruit and protein!
"Super grits" (courtesy of Lena Jewler)
Grits from the main line plus broccoli, ham, and mushroom from the omelet station with a side of butter and cheese.
Much like cereal, plain grits get old pretty quick. Jazzing them up with an assortment of toppings makes them exciting and delicious.
Lunch/Dinner
"Power salad"
Spring mix greens from salad bar with grilled chicken and a side of quinoa and faro salad.
When it comes to eating healthy in Cowan the options are slim to none. Salads are pretty much the only option and as we all know too well it is very easy to fall into what I like to call a "salad slump". Basically when you have eaten so much boring salad in a short period of time that you could not fathom eating another leafy green vegetable in your life. If you are going to be eating salad day in and day out it is absolutely crucial to get creative and change things up regularly to avoid monotony (pro tip: bring your own favorite dressing).
"Pizza bagels" (courtesy of Lena Jewler)
Toasted bagels with marinara sauce, cheese, and bacon bits. Pop in microwave and ~boom~ hot and fresh pizza bagels.
Sometimes the pizza in Cowan is decent and other times... not so much.
Pizza bagels are a great way to customize your own personal pizza. Whole wheat, everything, heck even a cinnamon raison dessert pizza bagel. The options are endless.
Toasted sunflower bread with olive oil, marinara, and parmesan cheese.
All the deliciousness of pizza bagels with just as many possibilities. The sunflower bread is one of the few redeeming qualities of Cowan and toasting it takes it to a whole other level.
"Pretzel sandwich"
Pretzels from the pretzel bar, turkey deli meat, sliced tomato, lettuce, mustard and cheddar cheese.
Like salads, sandwiches can get dangerously boring. Taking your favorite sandwich ingredients and putting them between two warm soft pretzels raises your sandwich game to a level you've never even seen.
Dessert
"Strawberry shortcake with vanilla soft-serve"
"When in doubt...add cheese if its breakfast/lunch/dinner, add soft-serve if its dessert" - Ancient Centre Student Proverb on how to improve the typical Cowan meal
"No-bake s'more"
No bake day is arguably the best day of the week in Cowan. You absolutely can not leave Cowan on a Wednesday without a handful of these sweet triangles of chocolatey goodness. Take advantage of the s'more station next time and swap out regular chocolate for a no bake.
For the brave few that are willing to remove themselves from their normal "Cowan comfort zone" the result can and will be magical. Don't be afraid to jump into the unknown and try some new concoctions...one thing is indisputable, it can't get any worse. Who knows you may just discover your next favorite meal!
