We get it—it’s that time in the semester when you’re going to the same places and choosing the same meals too many days in a row. It feels like Groundhog Day but it’s only November. Time to change things up for that final push until a much-needed break!
Get creative by mixing and matching food from different stations at the All-You-Care-to-Eat concepts. Our own Registered Dietitian Lauren Bartholomew likes to boost flavor and nutrition in soups by adding quinoa, spinach, or chickpeas from the salad bar, while Registered Dietitian Rachel Dolgner suggests loading up a baked potato with beans or veggies. We won’t give names but one of our colleagues loves to add potato chips to his soft serve ice cream.
Make your own Sweetgreen moment and create a power bowl with quinoa, veggies, and avocado from the salad bar, barbacoa and black beans from Caliente, and sweet potatoes from Heartland. Top your tortellini with fresh or sauteed veggies, or make your own Mediterranean special with hummus, falafel, olives, and peppers.
Add some fruit, cereal, or granola to your soft serve, or try a smoothie from Free From IX at McNutt to up your fiber and antioxidant intake.
Expand your usual pattern to include IU Dining locations you have not yet visited. If McNutt is your go-to, try one of the eateries or dining halls that you’ve passed by but never tried. Three Globe locations offer rotating food from favorite local international restaurants (Godfrey Cafe, Eigenmann, and the IMU). Also, did you know you can use GrubHub to preorder takeout from The Vault Pub in the IMU and other locations on campus?
Let us know about your favorite combos and dining hall hacks!
By the numbers
Just for funsies, some numbers on our sheer volume. IU Dining has +700 student employees and +300 full-time staff. The top-selling menu item on campus? Eggs.
Also:
- 440 new recipes were added to our menus from July 2023 to June 2024.
- +6,200 meals are served in a day at McNutt Dining Hall.
- +1,200 pounds of chicken breasts and tenders are served daily at Bookmarket Eatery.
- 57,321 pounds of broccoli were consumed between July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.