BYU meal plans are helping hungry students satisfy the munchies while keeping their piggy banks full.
Meal plans seem to be the most convenient and easiest way to find meals and snacks on campus, and because there are multiple plans to choose from, there is a plan for everyone.
“We offer a variety of meal plans that meet the different needs of students, because every student has a little different dining need,” said Dean Wright, director of dining services. “We’re trying to meet the lifestyles of students, the ones who live in Helaman Halls, the ones who like to go grocery shopping, the ones off campus, to the students who live in a traditional home and need to have their meals on campus.”
There are five meal plans students can choose from including EZ Dining, Cannon Block of Meals, Open Door, Diner’s Platinum and, the most popular, Dining Plus.
“Meal plans take away the stress of having to shop for and cook our own food,” said Rachel Wade, a freshman living in Helaman Halls who uses a Dining Plus plan. “If we’re in a hurry on campus, it lets us grab a snack quickly from the vending machines.”
Wade chose the Dining Plus plan because it allows her to eat not only at the Cannon Center, but at all the eateries on campus.
With several on-campus dining locations open at various times of the day, students are sure to find the perfect meal even during early mornings and late nights.
“Food is so much easier to find with a meal plan,” said Alexis Sienicki, a student who believes every freshman should have a meal plan. “I have constant access to the Cannon at Helaman Halls, vending machines on campus, the Cougar Eat, Blue Line, Skyroom, you name it. I never run out of options of where, when and how I can get my next meal.”
Meal plans can be paid for monthly, after which funds to purchase food are sent directly to a student’s signature card.
“Our signature cards are like debit cards,” Sienicki said. “I love using mine because I always have it with me. I don’t need to carry around cash wondering whether I have enough, and I don’t have to carry around loose change. It helps me keep track of my money better.”
Students who purchase meal plans can eat at some of the most popular BYU eateries including the Cannon Center, Subway, Taco Bell, LT Soup & Salads, Jamba Juice, Sugar & Spice and more. Students who want to cook their own food can purchase specific meal plans that let them buy groceries at three BYU creameries.
“I wouldn’t limit meal plans to freshmen,” Wright said. “Meal plans help with budgeting. [They] help the students plan out their day so they know they’re getting some nutrition. I believe the students that have meal plans generally eat healthier, and I believe that the meal plan choices that we offer are varied enough to meet the savings of money and time.”
Although meal plans are often associated with freshmen, Wright said for every freshman who purchases a meal plan, three upperclassmen purchase one.
“Dining services is always looking at new meal plans to meet the students’ needs,” Wright said. “We meet with students to try to determine what is the best meal plan, because the majority of students at BYU that have meal plans are voluntary. I believe this shows that BYU offers value to its students.”
For more information or to purchase a meal plan, visit dining.byu.edu/mealplans.
