How to Eat Well: Off-Campus Life - Northwestern University

How to Eat Well

Do you have cookware, dishes, and utensils, or will you purchase them?
Consider transportation. How will you get to the grocery store?
How often will you dine out or purchase food on campus?
Do you need to learn to cook? Attend regular cooking demos taught by NU Off-Campus Life and Northwestern Dining.

Many restaurants offer the WildCARD Advantage student discount, so take advantage of the great restaurants in Evanston and Chicago
Look for coupons or special promotional deals to make dining out more affordable

Check out Northwestern Dining for meal plan options or load up your WildCARD with Cat Cash to buy food at dining halls and C-stores

Make a list. Your shopping will be faster and you’ll be less likely to forget important items
Consider spoilage. Be sure that you can actually eat everything you buy before it expires
Utilize the Shop-N-Ride Shuttle that operates on most Sundays (takes you round-trip to Target, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Jewel, and Old Orchard Mall)
Consider renting a car for an hour or a day so you can stock up during your trip
Visit the “Free and For Sale” NU Facebook group to find inexpensive cookware

Set expectations about washing dishes to prevent disputes over cleanliness
Determine what items are communal. Think about salt, olive oil, sugar, etc.
Coordinate trips to the store to prevent double purchases of communal items and so you can grab something a roommate might need