Healthy and hearty frugal campus eats

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

Broke students can still find fresh and nutritious food at Concordia

I’m not a thief, I just have an uncanny ability to find free food.

It’s not like it’s hard at Concordia—the whole school is packed full of resources for starving students. To help the hungry hoards out for the upcoming months of ‘where’dallmysummersavingsgoI’mbrokeagain’ I’ve compiled a list of the best places on campus for each and every student to check-out and fill-up at.

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.
Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

The People’s Potato – seventh floor, Hall building. 12:30-2 p.m.

Score hearty vegan lunches packed with vegetables, beans, grains, a salad—and a side of soup. Gluten-free meals are usually available two days of the week. You are encouraged to donate your loose change and students need to bring their own tupperware. I recommend bringing two pieces of tupperware so your salad doesn’t swim in your soup. Pop in the back and volunteer by washing dishes or chopping veggies for 15 minutes to skip the lines.

The Hive Free Lunch – SC-115. 12:30-2 p.m.

Free lunches for the Loyola crowd are also vegetarian, but less vegan. These meals often feature thai noodles and a brownie for dessert. Their salads are to die for. Students don’t have to bring their own tupperware but must wash their own dishes at the end of their meal. Volunteer by helping to serve—where you get tons of good vibes from the people you’re giving free food to—or wash some dishes and enjoy coffee or cookies baked by the staff as a thank you. Donations encouraged.

The People’s Potato Food Bank – seventh floor, Hall building. Select dates.

A first-come, first-serve style food bank in collaboration with Moisson Montréal. Tickets are handed out along the line to guarantee you food, but don’t fret if you don’t get a ticket—usually the 20 people who don’t get tickets at the end of the line get food too. Bring your own bags to carry home donated items such as bread, various cans, boxes of crackers and granola bars. No identification required.

The Good Food Basket – seventh floor, Hall building. Every two weeks.

While not a Concordia program, The Good Food Basket is still an amazing way for students to stock up on fresh (and often local) fruit and vegetables year-round for cheap. It’s a larger Quebec program that sells $7, $11 and $17 boxes designed to last a single person, couple or family a whole week. You order the box at a desk near The People’s Potato—cash only—and show up a week later with your own bags to tote home your goodies. Check out bonneboitebonnebouffe.org for other ordering/ pickup locations near your neighbourhood.

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard – Multi-faith Chaplaincy 2090 Mackay St. Thursday 5-7 p.m.

Fill your belly before bed with a $2 vegan meal once a week. Students are encouraged to help volunteer, cook and clean. Show up with friends or go alone to meet some like-minded—or budgeted—students. Tea and coffee are also served, and all the money collected goes straight to helping fund next week’s meal. It’s a community-building and belly-filling pay-it-forward, for Concordians.

Events at Concordia – various dates.

Always read the posters plastered all over the walls and keep an eye out for events posted on Facebook. There are endless festivities that feature free food all year-round. HOJO serves pizza at its info sessions, CISA has been known to host an unbelievable buffet from food around the world at its Cultural Fair and almost every department hosts wine and cheese nights throughout the year. Show up, learn stuff and stuff yourself silly with free food.

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