Kristine Xu
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Kristine Xu is a journalism freshman and Mustang News food columnist.
With a little more than a month left of the quarter, eating the same thing day in and day out is likely to get tiring and unappetizing. If eating at Metro one more time is going to make you burst into tears, try these tips:
1. Einstein Bros. Bagels
It is almost the end of the quarter. You are out of Plu$ Dollars and left with only a handful of meal credits. If you’re scrambling to feed yourself while also trying to find something appetizing, head over to Einstein Bros. and spend an entire meal credit just on bagels. You will be covered for breakfast for the rest of the week, and it only takes one meal credit for the entire ordeal. Additionally, order the pizza bagels at Einstein Bros. and ask for toppings such as sliced red tomatoes or grilled onions for only a little bit extra.
2. 19 Metro Station
Shake it up by combining different menu items from different parts of the buffet. Try sprinkling cheese and other toppings from the salad bar on your pasta or throwing together taco salads and burrito bowls from the Mexican food station. For a healthier option, consider ordering from the gluten free section for less processed foods such as steamed vegetables or roasted poultry.
3. Sandwich Factory
Those long lines at Sandwich Factory are starting to seem like more trouble than they are worth. However, if you still commit to the lines only to discover there are no more of your favorite croissants, look to see if there are a couple sitting in the display at the back. Bring it up to your server to make into a delicious turkey, provolone and avocado sandwich. You can also stock up on fresh fruit by spending an entire meal on fruit to snack on for the rest of the week. Sometimes they even have sliced halves of grapefruit in the refrigerated drink section to add variety to your diet.
4. VG Cafe
Tired of your love-hate relationship with the burritos? Order only the healthier options, such as an order of brown rice from Chopsticks, a side of black beans from Caliente or a serving of steamed veggies from Bella Pasta. Grab one of the hot pretzels from the salad bar section to accompany your meal, or fill up a soup container with gluten free cereal for only $1.50 per bowl. You could also spend an entire meal on apple juices or Gatorades for the upcoming week.
5. Ciao!
Although most people know Ciao! as the only pizza place on campus, they also offer delicious salads, calzones and breadsticks. After making a pact with myself to eat healthier this quarter, a good portion of my Plu$ Dollars have gone to the delicious salads here. In addition to the iceberg lettuce, there are also bins of dark green spinach and assorted greens that are great options for a delicious salad. The toppings here make Ciao! my go-to place for salads on campus, with options including sliced black olives, shredded mozzarella cheese, sunflower seeds, garbanzo beans, black beans, kidney beans and even canned peach slices and sweet pineapple chunks. Ask your cashier for a buttery bread stick to complete the meal.
Hopefully the last few weeks of Campus Dining will be a bit more bearable with these tricks.