Let me first explain how I feel about the caf, so you know where I’m coming from in this. See, my freshman year I entered college with about five main foods that I ate on rotation. I won’t embarrass myself with the list here, but let’s just say most of them contained bread, and few of them gave me the necessary nutrients we’re supposed to get from our food.
But as you can imagine, liking very few foods and having to rely on the caf to provide these, I soon grew resentful of the caf and its limited resources. Over the course of my years at Ouachita though, things have changed.
The first thing that happened to my eating habits was pretty traumatic. I figured out that I have a gluten intolerance. This happened towards the end of my freshman year and was devastating, because like I said earlier, most of my foods were bread-based.
The second thing that happened was a result of the first, and has turned out to be better than I could have imagined. It changed my view on food and in turn, on the caf. I started liking food.
I know, I know it sounds ridiculous. But sparing you too many details let’s just say that getting rid of gluten made me feel much better and in turn I could start enjoying foods. So I added salads, veggies, grains, and sauces that I had never really ventured into and I realized the caf could actually be kinda… fun, I guess.
So now as an experienced consumer of the caf, here are some tips to help get you through the next years of your life—
- PB & Honey cereal—This trick was passed down to me by some rocking seniors my freshman year (you know who you are). In true Gilmore Girls fashion the first step is to mix your cereals, layering corn flakes, cheerios, and rice krispies for example. Then, head over to the peanut butter section and get you a nice spoonful, placing it strategically on the edge of your cereal bowl. Lastly, drizzle honey all over that mound of cereal, and add milk if you so choose. Not only is this a tasty treat, but it makes for a great finale to your dinners if you just aren’t quite full enough. Plus, as my always mom says—peanut butter is protein!
- Beans & rice & everything nice—We all know the caf has its staple foods… a pizza line, salsa/hummus, and the grill typically. But don’t overlook the classic beans and rice! With one or both as your base, you can create your own Chipotle style rice bowl, adding salsas/hummus, peppers/onions/your choice of veggies from the salad bar, and chips/pita to eat with. If you’re feeling really adventurous, try some sauces from the salad bar or near the sandwiches to mix things up.
- Shake up your salads— The salad bar may be where you get stuck talking to that person you’ve been trying to avoid or the spot to set down your plate and tie your shoes, but if you stop and look at the options for what they are, you’ll see you can actually do quite a bit to shake up your meals. I’ve known people to never eat the same salad twice, and the trick is to mix up veggies, maybe add some beans/rice, grab some salsa, or even grilled chicken to make your salad your main meal. In fact, don’t underestimate the main line’s ability to transform your dinner…add it to a salad! Stick it on some rice! Get crazy!
On top of these 3 simple tips, my main advice to you is to take advantage of the options and the atmosphere. Some of my favorite conversations with friends over the years have been from sitting in the caf for almost three hours at dinner, as friends come and go and the food combinations get weirder and more adventurous.
One day you’ll have to do your own cooking and grocery shopping, and while that has perks of its own (see me for 3 tips to enhance your college cooking), gone will be the days of eating several plates worth of food without the worry of doing the dishes.
