When you come to the University of Iowa, you have a lot of choices to make about your diet: what, when, where, and how. There are three dining halls: Catlett, Burge, and Hillcrest, as well as cafes on campus where you can use dining dollars (that come automatically with a meal plan), like Yella’s and the Food for Thought café at the library. The Food Pantry in the IMU is another resource for students and faculty, where you can get groceries for free. Essentially, when you come to Iowa, you’re gonna eat.

However, you’ve still got to answer those questions above. During my first semester, I didn’t want to worry about getting groceries, but I didn’t need to eat three meals a day, so I chose the Weekly 14 meal plan. This gave me the ability to eat twice a day, every day. The dining halls are also buffet-style, so I wasn’t constrained in terms of how much I ate. If I had time to spare, I’d usually do homework while I had coffee or dessert, but if I was in a hurry, I’d grab a to-go box and be in and out in ten minutes. The dining halls are very flexible. 

The dining halls are also fairly simple to navigate: after swiping your ID, I recommend setting your things down before getting a plate of food, so you have somewhere to return to. Take a turn around the stations and decide what you want to eat, then hop in line. If you have dietary restrictions, there are tags on every station explaining if what is being served is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, etc. I do not have any dietary restrictions, so I can’t speak on the quality of the dining halls for those who do. I do know that there are different types of milk in the fridges, usually half-and-half for coffee, soy, and oat. There is also a gluten-free fridge, where the gluten-free brownies live, and friends, they are so good. Truly the best brownies I’ve ever eaten in my life. I did once take a gluten-free sandwich to go, though, and… just stick with the brownies. Trust me. 

I enjoyed eating in the dining halls a lot; it was finally easy for me to eat a lot of protein every day, and the chopped melon that was served at least two times every week was delightful. I got into a really comfortable routine. Now, I have the Block 50 meal plan. This plan is unique in that it is only available to those who live off campus or in dorms with university-supplied kitchens: Parklawn, Mayflower, and some dorms in Hillcrest. This is because you have to prepare the majority of your meals yourself. Whereas last semester, I barely used the kitchenware I brought to school, I use it at least once daily, now. This may seem like a big switch, but it felt pretty seamless. Here’s how I made it happen:

Primarily, I came in with a lot of prior knowledge. I have watched my mother meal prep and make grocery lists since I was young and grew up in an ingredient household where cooking daily was the norm. As I grew up, I watched and helped my mom make breakfast and dinner, so by the time I left for college, I had a small but effective arsenal of recipes as well as the skills to make and execute grocery lists. If you couldn’t tell, I’m a big fan of lists. They help me focus. Moreover, when the task involves my wallet, focus is of the utmost importance. 

Because of their inherent, immense, and infamous value, I want to share how I plan to make my grocery lists every week. My mother (this article was sponsored by her, actually, which is why I keep talking about her) decided to get me my first week of groceries on Instacart, which I then picked up in Iowa City. It was so practical, so kind, so simple. Thanks, Mom. That first order contained a lot of staples: olive oil, spices, chicken breast, and lots of frozen veggies. It was a lot more expensive than, say, my grocery run this past weekend. I only needed to replace my yogurt, frozen blueberries, fresh vegetables, and cheese. Usually, I’ll sit in my kitchen so I can physically see what I need to get, but it wasn’t difficult to do this list off the top of my head because it was so short. When I think about what I need for the week, I think about what meals I’m going to want to make. Typically, I need enough ingredients for sandwiches, yogurt cups, salads, pasta and pasta sauce, grilled chicken, and roasted veggies. For snacks, I make myself a trail mix or cut up vegetables. These are the bulk of my meals – simple, easily rotated, and relatively nutritionally dense. It’s kind of boring, I know, but I like it, and it keeps me going.

At the end of the day, everyone is different. Some people don’t like to cook, and that’s fine. The dining halls are a great option; straightforward and convenient. If you need to save money, like I did this semester, a plan like Block 50 is an option. At the University of Iowa, it’s all about choice, which is one of my favorite things about going to school here. No matter who you are or what you need, you’ll be set up for success😊

If you’ve gotten this far, thank you! I hope my page can bring some insight and confidence to those considering coming to the U of I for college—I love it here, and I’m confident you will, too. Stay tuned for next month’s blogs and stay warm! See ya!

Kiah<3