With the semester winding down, many students have found their favorite meals in the dining halls. Especially for freshmen, it can take some time to find your favorite locations and meals at each dining hall.

Liam Reardon, a freshman in cyber security engineering, enjoys eating at Union Drive Community Center (UDCC).

“I had a pork tenderloin sandwich from UDCC the other day, and it is definitely my favorite sandwich I’ve had in any of the dining halls,” Reardon said. “My other favorite meal is the broccoli cheddar soup, which I love to layer with crackers and green onions. If you ever get to try it, I would highly recommend it.”

Reardon also enjoys making shrimp pasta at the pasta bar in UDCC.

Annemarie Herrick, a sophomore in kinesiology and health, enjoys going to Conversations dining hall because she believes they have the best food and the lines aren’t too long.

“My favorite [dining hall] meal is the chicken noodle soup from Windows. It is super good and reminds me of a homemade meal,” Herrick said.

Shayla Timm, a freshman in design, recommends changing up what you eat so you don’t get sick of the dining hall meals.

“My favorite dining hall is UDCC because it is close to my residence hall and always has the most options,” Timm said.

For a more customized experience, Timm has a great comfort meal recommendation.

“I don’t make too many unique concoctions at the dining halls, but I love to put broccoli cheddar soup on my baked potatoes at Friley Windows,” Timm said.

Claire Franciskato, a freshman in dietetics, enjoys getting a bowl from Saikuron at Union Drive Marketplace as her favorite dining hall meal.

“I like to mix and match stations to create a diverse meal that hits all of the major food groups and has a decent amount of carbs, proteins and vegetables,” Franciskato said. “After I do this, I typically end up with a very diverse salad with warm meat or salmon, warm vegetables from another station, and then whatever looks good at the salad bar.”

Reardon and Herrick recommend that students go to dining halls outside of the typical, busy meal hours to avoid long lines and food running out.

“My number one recommendation to any incoming freshman regarding the dining halls would be to mix and match the stations because that helps you to get a good variety of food,” Franciskato said. “I would also recommend starting off your year eating ‘healthy’ because it will help you maintain it throughout the year. Balance is the key to eating in the dining halls. Eat the dessert because you deserve it after that exam in the Testing Center, but make sure to fuel yourself properly before.”

Trying out different dining halls and switching up meals can make for a much more enjoyable experience throughout the year and fight dining hall fatigue. Try these meals to shake things up and get out of a rut.