<p>I know there are four all-you-can-eat halls accept meal plans. I wonder if the meal plans cover drinks, like coffee or soft drinks or juice. Also, if I want to grab something to go, how much food and drink can I have?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Are you asking about the “unlimited” freshman plan?</p>
<p>If yes, then you can go into the dining halls and just get coffee, drink, or a snack, etc. It’s part of the plan. Yes, it covers drinks with a meal.</p>
<p>Now, if you are using any other plan, each time you go into the dining hall it will cost you a meal swipe. You can get as much food as you want, I guess, within reason.</p>
<p>I have the freshman unlimited plan and I utilize it by stopping in for coffee, drinks, snacks, etc. This saves my money/dining dollars and is super convenient.</p>
<p>As for “grabbing food to go,” I think Bama Dining encourages that. (and you can take a drink, too).</p>
<p>If you go to Bama Dining’s website, they have some suggestions of taking food to go. Bama Dining does provide those clam shells to take food to go. They also sell a reusable container if you prefer that.</p>
<p><a href=“http://bamadining.ua.edu/information/Creative-Meal-Plans.pdf[/url]”>http://bamadining.ua.edu/information/Creative-Meal-Plans.pdf</a></p>
<p>Keep in mind that they do not allow you to eat there AND take a to-go away at the same time, tho - it’s one of the other. This is listed under Meal Plan Use, on this page: [Bama</a> Dining Terms and Conditions](<a href=“http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/terms-conditions.html]Bama”>http://bamadining.ua.edu/pages/terms-conditions.html) .</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply. But I was confused about how much I can take out if I do not use a to-go-container. I understand it is totally unresonable to grab as much as I can to go. But is there any specified limits, like at most a sandwich+a soup+a drink, or something like that?</p>
<p>Two hands? Whatever you can carry? Why wouldn’t you use a container?! I don’t know if we are understanding your question exactly.<br>
A freshman has the unlimited plan, so they can eat as much as they want on the spot. If they want to take things to go, they are given a clam-shell container and a drink cup. You can also go ‘green’ and purchase (1-time only fee) a reusable container to use time and time again. (Discussed at BamaBound.) You could theoretically do this more than once within a short space of time, I suppose.
Anyone else on a lower meal plan will be charged every time they set foot in the dining hall - whether it is for 1 soda or for a full meal.</p>
<p>When my S was considering another university, they made it very clear that their policy (the other university) did not tolerate people sneaking out things in their pockets, especially cookies. They even said they would treat this as theft and would embarrass the student on the spot. Imagine. Yet another reason he did not go there… LOVE UA!!!
In previous threads I remember reading last year that students were ENCOURAGED to take food out from the dining halls, including whole pineapples. Oh, maybe that was just for Malanai’s son…</p>
<p>My daughter will usually take out a piece of fruit, but never a pineapple, or a couple of cookies after eating in the dining hall. She doesn’t hide it and no one has ever said anything.<br>
She has swiped her card again after dinner and received a to-go box which she has filled with melon, raw vegetables, or desserts to snack on later. She’ll usually take some milk for her morning coffee.</p>
<p>I am friends with the group that started taking large fruits out of the dining halls. It started with pineapples, but by October had moved up to pumpkins… ;)</p>
<p>Yes, you can definitely grab-and-go. There are to-go cups, boxes, and soup cups. Also, they’re technically required to swipe you in again if you want to eat there and also get to-go, but no one ever did after the first few weeks of the school year, because most people are on unlimited (which means the swipes are just a waste of time).</p>
<p>I’ve been tempted to leave with a pineapple as it’s a single piece of fruit :), but the largest piece of fruit I’ve brought back was a large grapefruit.</p>
<p>To the best of my knowledge, Bama dining has no specific rules about what food one can take from the dining hall without needing a to-go box. Fruit, fortune cookies, crackers, corn bread, cookies, dessert bars, 32oz drinks (only at Bryant), and ice cream are all definitely allowed, though preferably not all at once. The general consensus for those dining in is to only take out food which you will be eating right away. This consensus does not apply to those with unlimited meal plans. </p>
<p>It’s amazing how many people only leave with the small ice cream cones. I grab a paper coffee cup, make myself an ice cream sundae, and grab a plastic spoon on my way out. :)</p>
<p>I’ve heard of students taking reusable cups, plates, and metal silverware from the dining halls. DO NOT DO THIS. It would be considered theft.</p>