Opinion | What places on campus deserve the meal swap?

Let’s be real. The Eatery is not fine dining. While it gets the job done, as the year progresses, one is destined to become tired of the food. Compared to the dining halls, the meal swap places on Pitt’s campus often taste like fine dining for college students. I want to let some new students know where your one meal swap a day is best spent. 

For some background, I was always tired of the Eatery not offering the healthiest options. I wanted something that was filling, and, while the pizza was amazing, it would have been a bad idea to eat that every day. I value a good diet and being able to know what I am eating, which unfortunately is not always the case at The Eatery. 

Furthermore, sometimes it is nice to have a meal that goes together. My plate at The Eatery was a hodgepodge of any good things I could find. While that wasn’t always bad, I simply craved a cohesive meal. 

With that being said, I am going to lay out my recommendations in order of the three meals of the day, starting with breakfast. If you are one to get a workout in before class and prefer to use a swap earlier in the day, Shake Smart is worth the swap. The meal plan deal at Shake Smart is a large shake for $12, which I know sounds like an unnecessary splurge. However, the shakes will leave you full and have a lot of nutritional value — some having almost 30 grams of protein. My personal favorite is the superfood shake. However, you can also get delicious overnight oats and a small coffee for the same price, or one of their delicious acai bowls and a peanut butter sandwich. 

Shake Smart is an insanely fueling breakfast to get the day started. Also, try and tell me getting a shake after your workout doesn’t make you feel like the healthiest person in the world. Shake Smart started to become routine for me because it was convenient to get after my workout and left me full for the majority of the day. 

For lunch, I firmly believe that Create is a great place to use your meal swap. You can choose one of its already-made wraps or salads with the ingredients listed, or you can create your own while also adding a drink and your choice of fruit or chips. When I needed a chicken Caesar wrap — which was like every day — Create always satiated that craving. While it does get busy during lunch hour, it is worth the wait and easy to pre-order during the class when your stomach is viciously growling while scrolling on the Mobile Order app. Create is a perfect way to satisfy the midday hunger with a full meal rather than snacks.

Another good option my roommate Megan enjoyed was PA Taco Co. Its meal plan deal gives you a burrito bowl-style meal with four toppings and a fountain beverage, or you could get different burritos and tacos that will satisfy your hunger as well as be worth the swap. She also noted that it didn’t leave you feeling grossly full or broke afterward like a Chipotle burrito bowl often does.

For dinner, I will always recommend Wicked Pie or True Burger. Let’s start with Wicked Pie. What’s better than a make-your-own pizza and fountain drink? My personal favorite was a pesto, cheese and chicken pizza. Wicked Pie is incredibly easy to get on the go and would leave me with leftovers, allowing me to enjoy it more than one day. Not to mention, it is not the extremely greasy pizza from the dining hall and it offers gluten-free crust, which my roommate was grateful for, since she believed the Eatery did not cater well to her gluten allergy. 

True Burger has amazing turkey burgers, with the choice of a gluten-free bun as well. The burger comes with sweet potato fries or regular fries and a drink. The menu also features a burger sauce that adds tons of flavor, and it is a great dinner option that won’t leave you hungry for late-night snacks. True Burger also has shakes that are a popular purchase if you are looking for a sweet treat at the end of a long school day, which I am extremely familiar with.

Meal swaps are amazing and are a key reason I stayed well-fed last year. In my first year, I was nervous about being able to stay healthy and enjoy my food while being reliant on a meal plan. Hearing The Eatery horror stories definitely did not help. But it is definitely doable to eat well on a meal plan and important to find what works best for you and what you enjoy.  Now that I am without a meal plan, I find myself heavily missing the college student version of fine dining — daily shakes, chicken Caesar wraps and make-your-own pizzas.