Enhance your snacks with cafeteria hacks

IT Department | September 21, 2015 | Features, Home Feature | No Comments

By Kristin Troyer – Horizon Features Editor

Five weeks in and a home-cooked meal never sounded so good.

As much as students might want to believe, you can’t live on ramen noodles and Sonic’s corn dogs for the next year. At some point, you must venture, willingly or dragged by your roommate, into the cafeteria.

Sophomore Roman Arnold isn’t making it up when he tells you, “We have a wide selection of food today,” as he monitors you scanning your ID. It’s true, and you can use the cafeteria to your advantage, even if the immediate menu isn’t tantalizing your taste buds.

Students go through the cafeteria line. Many students hurry through the line, not considering how to use the cafeteria food to their benefit. Photo by Tori Byler.

Here are some hacks provided by sophomore students who have perfected their personal menu while living and dining at Hesston College:

Use the panini press. It’s perfect for making quesadillas and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Don’t ignore the soups. They’re usually delicious.
Don’t ignore the spices tray hiding at the end of the buffet line.
Rice with butter and cumin was a recipe developed by Quinn Kathrineberg, a 2015 graduate, and the legacy is carried on by Christy Swartzendruber.
Make your own milkshake using the ice cream machine.
Perfect your cinnamon roll by microwaving it for 30 seconds
Use the bagels at breakfast to make breakfast sandwiches
Use the salad bar for more than just salad; Add the cheese, bacon bits, and croutons to soup, potatoes, or anything else that needs extra flavor.
Sophomore Colton Eby recommends his secret strawberry lemonade created with syrup from the strawberry topping syrup and lemonade.
Sierra Mist is another beverage that begs to be mixed into new drinks. Try it with fruit, juice, or other sodas.