I survived off of anything microwavable my freshman year. I lived on the top floor of Julia Tutwiler Hall, and options were limited to anything that could fit in the three-by-six-by-three refrigerator or anything that could be heated up in the microwave.

Macaroni and cheese, Lunchables and hummus/pretzel packages were consistent in my diet. These high-sodium and processed solutions to food, along with a fair amount of Aristocrat, led to a solid freshman 15 and some terrible eating habits.

But despite the limited choices at the Tutwiler convenience store, Julia’s, they accepted Dining Dollars, were convenient and were open until 2 a.m., a key factor of success in college student business profits. If you went in late enough post-swap, there were R&B dance parties.

Last weekend, my roommates and I attempted to take advantage of our untouched pile of Monopoly-money Dining Dollars. On a Saturday night, our options were limited to Domino’s and Buffalo Phil’s. Greasy, fried food. We chose instead to visit our old stomping grounds in Julia Tutwiler’s convenience store.

There was a produce section with salads, sandwiches, dips and salsas made by Bama Dining only a day or two earlier. There were fresh fruit cups, vegetables and cheese. The Boar’s Head sandwich shop that I so often frequented was still there – and still delicious. And while there was a lack of soy milk, overall, there was a greater selection in the frozen food, organic and snack section, all of which included healthy options. Not to mention the glow-in-the-dark iPhone cover my roommate found.

These products were not available when I lived fourteen flights up, but I wish they had been. Sure, the Pop-Tarts and barbeque chips were still there, but they were also next to other breakfast bars and Baked Lays.

Admittedly, it was exceptionally overpriced; a $3 box of cereal cost closer to $7, and laundry detergent and peanut butter were too ridiculously priced to even be considered for purchase.

But unfortunately, this is to be expected. Dining Dollars are not accepted very many places, especially those where you can buy grocery-like products. So, Bama Dining takes advantage of that. Also, for most of the patrons, they are paying for convenience, seeing as they live in the same building as the store. I would be more willing to pay higher dollar if I were only an elevator ride away, too.

Still, taking advantage of the fact that the above is true is not very nice. By using UA Dining Dollars to purchase UA Bama Dining products, our dollar is making a full circle of cha-ching for the University. If the University is not going to be able to offer us more options, they should not make the only options available overpriced. After checking out with a sandwich, fruit, a frozen dinner, a small bag of pretzels and some Listerine, my total was $44. Ouch.

Overall, though, I left Julia’s pleasantly surprised. Yes, taking advantage of our Dining Dollars situation is not admirable, but I was appreciative of the fresh fruit and Lean Cuisine I could buy. Bama Dining has taken health into consideration, an important step towards a healthier, and therefore happier, campus. As we increase in population, I expect to see an increase in the quantity and quality of our amenities. I have chosen to assume that Julia’s Market symbolizes the first improvement of many.

SoRelle Wyckoff is the Opinions Editor of The Crimson White. Her column runs on Monday.