Breakfast, lunch and dinner, first-year students at CWRU know that Leunter is their most accessible option for the meal swipe in the NRV. Because of this, Leutner can get pretty boring pretty quickly, but there are some ways to keep it interesting.
The Basics
The biggest key is always look at all your options. There are a tons of little stations that most people overlook when going in because they make a beeline for what they already know. Branch out and take everything in before choosing and the variety in your diet will increase dramatically. A good place to start is the Deli station next to the sweets for some new sides and the Taqueria station next to the panini presses for some simple tasty meals.
A second everyday change that you can make in order to make the dining hall more interesting is to always change a small part of your meal. If you're a picky eater who only eats at one station because that's the only thing you like, try changing the salad dressing you use each time, or what kind of rice you pick, so that you can still get some variety. Also, I see a lot of people look over is the soups, chili, and hot cereal. They're presented immediately as you walk in, so why not check what's there from time to time?
Breakfast
Eating breakfast at Leutner is probably the easiest meal. You wake up for your early classes, you're tired, and you just want to start your day right. The best way to do this is cereal. Hot or cold, you have everything the cereal itself can give you, with the added bonus of being able to add anything you want to it. Milk or yogurt? Bananas or the fruit of the day? The possibilities with cereals are truly endless, so there is little room to get bored even with the small selection offered. The blandest of cereals can be tasty if you add the right toppings. If you're not a cereal person, you can achieve gluten-y goodness with pre-prepared pancakes and french toast, biscuits, or bagels. Protein and fruit can be added by putting it on your plate from the other stations and you have yourself a completely different meal by choosing any of these over cereal. With breakfast, it's pretty hard to go wrong and it's mostly about your personal tastes.
Lunch & Dinner
The other two meals are pretty similar. This is where checking all your options in the nooks and crannies of the dining hall is really important. There are a lot of things on rotation that may not be there day to day, and you can check for freshness on some things. The best things for lunch and dinner are the things you either prepare for yourself or you watch get prepared in front of you. Nutritionally you can make sure you get everything that you need, and it's more delicious when freshly hot. For lunch, the panini press is something that everyone should be aware of. Placed on the far counter from where you walk in near the pizza, the presses make any sandwich exponentially better. For dinner, the thing most people look over is next to the desserts where the sides are. An array of different foods to pair with anything else you choose for that meal, the sides bar is great to enhance how you feel about having to get what could have been just another bland meal.
The Last Resorts
Leutner has a lot more interesting options than most people give it credit for, and there are some hidden secrets everyone should consider. But even the times when Leutner just won't cut it, always remember that L3 doesn't take a special meal swipe to eat, and you can get a burger or personal pizza any day of the week. (Except for Fridays and Saturdays.)
Of course, if you're really sick of campus food, then you should check out some other places in Cleveland we recommend.