By Kiersten Brackelman, Contributing Writer; Photos by Lindon Horn

One of the more reliable, lesser-known food options on campus is the Grab & Go meal. Students can find them conveniently located at the P.O.D. Market on the first floor of the Student Center. 

In addition to the Grab & Go meals, the P.O.D. Market offers a variety of snacks and beverages, such as chips, fruit cups, coffee, and other prepackaged drinks and food items. Within the P.O.D. Market, there is also a sandwich shop where students can select from a menu or build their own. Lastly, there are also some small provisions such as over-the-counter medicines and school supplies. Students can pay with Bonus Bucks, the meal exchange, or with U.S. Dollars. 

The meal consists of a deli meat and American cheese sandwich, with a choice between ham, turkey, or a salad as the main serving. It also includes any one of the various chip options in the market, and a fountain drink. 

The purpose of the Grab & Go meal is to provide students with an option when they do not have time to go back to the dining hall in between classes. “Grab & Go meals were really convenient when I had a 40-minute break in between classes when I didn’t have Bonus Bucks or time to go back to the ‘caf’ for lunch,” one South student, Cat Copenhaver, said. 

The Grab & Go meal option is especially relevant considering the university’s recent measures to enforce walking, riding the Jagtran, or using methods of transportation other than driving for on-campus students, which often leaves less time for movement between academic buildings to the dining or residence halls. 

Students can swipe their Jag Cards up to once per day for their free Grab & Go option. Eligible meal plans for students includes: Jag Pass $175, Jag Pass $300, and Jag Pass $450. The Grab & Go meal is available during the operating hours of the P.O.D. Their hours are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. 

For more information about the Grab & Go meal and other meal plan details, visit Meal Plans 101 – University of South Alabama