An Insight on Meal Plans and Purdue Dining

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    With all the meal plan options and dining locations on campus at Purdue, how do you know what’s right for you? There’s so many words and phrases that are associated with Purdue dining that may sound unfamiliar, so keep reading to learn more about all things Purdue food!


    Firstly, here are some definitions for the phrases that are typically used when talking about Purdue dining.

Meal Plan: Purdue’s prepaid dining service arrangement created to allow you to optimize your dining experience on campus. Each meal plan includes meal swipes and dining dollars available for use.

Meal Swipes: A prepaid meal included in your dining plan that allows you access into dining courts, Quick Bites, and On-the-GO! locations. This is what you will typically use to get meals. Each time you enter a dining court, a meal swipe will be deducted from your total allocated meal swipes for the week. Meal swipes are only usable during certain times and days of the week, so you will need to make sure your meal swipe is valid before entering. Your weekly meal swipes also reset at the end of each week and do not roll-over, so it is beneficial to use your meal swipes within the designated time frame.

Dining Dollars: A more flexible spending option that allows you to spend a prepaid amount of dollars on dining courts, retail options, and on campus convenience stores. This is what you use for fun treats or food not typically found in the dining courts. Locations such as Chick-fil-A and Panera Bread offer options off of their menu available for dining dollar usage. Dining dollars can be used any time during the day, so you are not limited to specific hours of operation. They will be transferred into your account in installments in the fall and spring semester. Unused dining dollars transfer from fall to spring semester, but they do not transfer over to the next academic year.

Boiler Express: A prepaid balance account that you can add money into any time. You can spend your Boiler Express dollars on dining options, vending machines, laundry facilities, printing services, and purchases at the university bookstore. Boiler Express offers the ability to not have to rely on a credit card or debit card to make purchases on campus and can provide more security for your transactions. Unused Boiler Express funds can be refunded at the end of the school year with a $10 fee to close the account.

Mobile Ordering: A convenient way of ordering online through an app in order to skip the line and just pick up your order once you reach the location. 

Meal Plans

    In order to regularly access the dining courts, you will need to purchase a meal plan. Purdue offers 4 main meal plan options for first-year students: Unlimited, 14-track, 10-track, and and 7-track. Each track lets you use a specific number of meal swipes per week and may include a specific number of dining dollars to spend. 

    The unlimited track offers unlimited meal swipes and $250 dining dollars per semester. This is a good option if you are wanting to have three meals per week and do not want to track your meal swipe usage. With the unlimited meal plan you can also have 8 meal swipes per week at the On the GO!, Quick Bite, or dining hall carry out meals in additional to your typical dining hall meal swipes. The 14-track offers 14 meals per week and $425 dining dollars per semester. This meal plan allows you to have 2 meals per day. The 10-track offers 10 meals per week and $550 dining dollars per semester. This option is for students who want to primarily eat at dining courts but also want to have plenty of dining dollars to use at retail locations. The 7-track offers 7 meals per week and $300 dining dollars per semester and is often selected by URBA residents or off campus students who also want to make their own food in their kitchen. If you want to learn more, this link will take you to the Purdue Dining and Culinary page that goes into more detail about each meal plan and what they offer.

    I decided to purchase a 14-track meal plan my freshman year and found it perfect for my schedule, and a lot of my friends had done the same. There were several times where I even had leftover meal swipes at the end of the week, so in order to use them before they expired I would go to the On-the-GO! Locations to stock up on snacks or breakfast items. In my opinion, I do not think that an unlimited meal plan is necessary unless you are truly wanting to eat 3 or more meals a day and plan on primarily using the dining courts as your main dining locations.

Dining Courts

    At Purdue, there are 5 dining court locations that utilize the meal swipe system. Residential dining is offered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 7 days a week. The dining courts offer a variety of food options that accommodate different tastes and dietary preferences. Dining courts are buffet-style and you are able to choose whatever you would like to eat from the selection of cuisine provided. Each dining court also offers either a gluten-friendly station or an allergen and specialty station in order to provide food options to those with dietary restrictions. 

Wiley Dining Court: This dining court is known for its diverse food options that include international cuisine, stir-fry, pasta, and grill stations. Wiley offers a variety of homestyle classics and comfort foods.

Ford Dining Court: This dining court offers made-to-order deli sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and grill items. Ford features New York style brick oven pizza and a 20 foot salad bar.

Windsor Dining Court: This dining court features Asian cuisine, salads, pasta, grill items, and more. Windsor also offers new vegetable protein options for those who are interested.

Earhart Dining Court: This dining court offers a variety of items such as comfort foods, pasta, and made-to-order grill items. Earhart features a Mongolian grill that serves incredible stir-fries.

Hillenbrand Dining Court: This dining court is known for its extensive salad bar, pasta station, grill options, and international cuisine. The fan favorite items include Create Your Own Noodle Bowls and quesadillas. On Sundays, Hillenbrand also offers brunch including pancakes, eggs, and other lunch items.

Other Dining Locations Available for Meal Swipes

The Gathering Place: Featuring Sushi Boss: This is located near Meredith Residence Hall and offers plenty of create-your-own sushi and sushi bowl options for sushi lovers. This location also offers mobile ordering.

Pete’s Za: This is located near Owen Residence Hall and offers fresh pizzas and cheesy pies. This location also offers mobile ordering.

1Bowl @ Meredith: This is located in Meredith Residence Hall and offers a rotating menu of hot or cold bowl entrees ranging from yogurt bowls to buffalo chicken bowls.

The Burrow: This is located in Cary Quad and open for dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-8 pm with inspired meals such as Tex-Mex, Indian, and more.

Retail Options Available for Dining Dollars

    Below are some of the locations available for use through dining dollars. The hours of operations for each location vary.

- Shenye @ Harrison Grill
- Panera
- Qdoba
- Freshens Fresh Food Studio
- Starbucks
- Cosi
- Jersey Mike’s
- Famous Frank’s @ Cary Knight Spot
- Saladworks
- Au Bon Pain


    Navigating Purdue’s dining options may seem overwhelming at first, but understanding the meal plans, meal swipe system, dining dollars, and dining locations can help you make informed decisions about your dining experience on campus. Purdue offers a variety of options to suit your needs and preferences in order to provide what’s best for you.


Bon appétit and Boiler Up!

Athulya Nair, ABE '24

WE Link Leadership Team


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