The days of mundane dining are over.

There are more options for students in the Buffalo State University dining hall than days in the semester, so instead of playing with your food like John Belushi in the 1978 film “Animal House,” you’ll actually want to eat it.

“We had a Bengal burger…it was like a pseudo-McDonald’s,” said Glenn Bucello, a Buffalo State alumnus and now the resident district manager of dining at the university. “It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t necessarily good for you.”

At Buffalo State, students have access to affordable, delicious, and healthy meals. You won’t have to go home on winter break, telling your parents you ate 75 Bengal Burgers this semester.

With four different meal plans offered for residents on campus, if you’re seeking value, the Freedom 19 plan is your best bet. At $3,640 per semester, this includes three meals a day Monday through Friday, and two meals a day on Saturday and Sunday. With this plan, missed meals aren’t a problem, students can use what are called meal exchanges, which have been “wildly successful,” Bucello said. This allows students who may have missed breakfast to then use that missed swipe elsewhere on campus.

Bengal Kitchen in the Student Union is the school’s main offering, but across from that are multiple retail offerings like Anchor Bar, Subway, and Spot Coffee. This is where students find themselves using the meal exchange swipes, because we all want a little something outside of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

But bringing it back to value, “the best bang for your buck is the Bengal Kitchen,” Bucello said.

It is an all-you-can-eat buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that features fresh concepts weekly, so you can always find something you like or try something new.

Buffalo State residents aren’t the only ones who can take advantage of the abundance of dining options. With the ability to choose from a 40-swipe plan and a 20-swipe plan, at $1,215 and $470, commuters can dine on campus too. This is a good option for students who want to eat lunch to prevent that afternoon sluggishness. These plans have some customization with swipes and dining dollars, allowing you to make the meal plan fit your schedule. The dining dollars are tax-free, so if you’re a commuter looking for value, this is where you’ll find it.

In addition to value, there is variety. The exhibition station in Bengal Kitchen features hot food with a menu that changes week to week, offering “flexibility,” Bucello said. One week, you can grab a bowl of creole mac and cheese, and the next, try garam masala for the first time.

Dietary restrictions and value are rarely in the same sentence, as it feels like anything but conventional food is expensive. At Buffalo State, students with food allergies or dietary restrictions can pay the same prices as someone without and still have options. Halal, gluten-free, vegan, allergen-friendly options and more are all available in the Bengal Kitchen. The only problem is “sometimes students don’t always know about it,” said Bucello. The dining team is eager to assist any student with questions or concerns in meeting their needs.

“Our why is to make everybody feel valued and appreciated,” Bucello said. “If I don’t know, I can’t fix it, and I’m not saying that we’re gonna fix it every single time, but I can tell you that we’re gonna try.”