Three Square Meals: The College Meal Plan

Food, glorious food…It’s a critical part of life, and so by default it’s a critical part of college life. Going off to school means no more meals cooked at home, or a kitchen that’s fully stocked. So what are your kids going to do about eating while pursuing that degree? The meal plan is one option. A meal plan is a service offered by colleges that provides students with a certain number of meals per week, or semester. These meals are served at the school cafeteria or dining hall and often consist of an all-you-care-to-eat type buffet with various food stations. But the question is: is it worth it? Meal plans aren’t cheap, so if your children are going to sign up for one, let’s make sure they get the most bang for their buck (or your buck, if you’re footing the bill).

Planning to Eat
The pre-paid meal plan usually comes in a variety of sizes to fit a variety of needs that are likely delineated by the number of meals per week. For example, if your son or daughter got a plan that offered 21 meals per week that’s 3 meals a day. But with classes and social activities, it’s likely they won’t eat 3 meals a day. That’s why it’s important for students to gauge their eating habits and choose wisely. The fact is, meals that kids don’t use aren’t going to get rolled over or get credited to their account.

Many schools utilize a student’s ID card to deliver the meal plan and track meal allowances. In some cases, meal plans offer additional monies on the ID card, which can be used to purchase food at other vendors. In order to determine the kind of plan that’s right for your child, we suggest your encourage them to eat at a dining hall when they visit the campus as a high school senior. If that’s not possible, have them contact other students at the school who have experience with the meal plan. Also, recommend that they get menus from the dining facility, and if they have any special dietary requirements see what the school is willing to do to meet these needs.

Of course, the choice to purchase a meal plan is sometimes out of the student’s hands. A lot of schools have begun making the purchase of a meal plan mandatory for students who live in campus dormitories. This is to ensure the students are getting well fed and not relying on preparing food in their rooms. Regardless of whether it’s mandatory, students will still have to determine the amount of meals they want to receive. Remind your kids that they won’t have a kitchen if they live in a traditional style dorm, so a meal plan is often the easiest and most inexpensive way to go. Those living in apartment-style dorms or off-campus housing may have kitchens, but they should still strongly consider buying a meal plan. After all, students spend much of their time on campus and the ability to get a healthy lunch at school is an economical and convenient option.

Watch the Diet
According to a study by a Cornell University, college freshmen gain an average of 4.2 pounds during their first 12 weeks on campus. “Significant weight gain during the first semester of college is a real phenomenon, with breakfast and lunch at all-you-can-eat dining facilities accounting for 20 percent of the weight gain,” says David A. Levitsky, professor of nutritional sciences and of psychology at Cornell. In other words, we recommend that you talk with your son or daughter about tracking calories; eating well-rounded meals (lots of vegetables!); and exercising, regularly.

Going Elsewhere
There is little doubt that even if your child gets a meal plan he or she is going to eat out at restaurants or order late night Chinese food. When choosing a meal plan, factor in these late night food runs to ensure your kids are not letting too many pre-paid meals go to waste. Don’t forget to consider how often they’ll be up and into the dining hall for breakfast. With a 21-meal plan, they’ll be paying for a lot of breakfasts they may never eat. In the end, meal plans are an ideal way to guarantee your kids have access to plenty of healthy meals, and that means they won’t have to subsist on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the entire semester.