Meal Plan User Guide

Meal Plans

From our exclusive, comprehensive Full Access Meal Plans—perfect for Lobos living on campus—to Community Meal Plans designed for staff, faculty, upperclassmen residents and commuter students ... you’ll be fueled up for every class, every adventure with friends—and life in general. Meal plans are conveniently billed through your Bursar’s account and added to your LoboCard at the beginning of each semester.

*Freshmen who live on central campus are required to select one of our Full Access Meal Plans.

A 'Meal Swipe' is the term used for the use of your meal plan in exchange for entrance into the dining hall or a meal trade at one of our On-the-Go Swipe locations. The number of meal swipes that you may use depends on the meal plan that is selected. Your plan may contain unlimited entries to La Posada + 3 daily meal swipes, a weekly amount of meal swipes, or a preset quantity of swipes to use at your discretion. Contact our meal plan help desk to determine which plans you are eligible to purchase and suit your needs. 

Unlimited Plans provide unlimited entries to La Posada 7 days a week. Use your LoboCard to enter La Posada as many times as you like whether you go to La Posada five times a day or five times a week. Also included with all access plans are 3 meal swipes loaded on your LoboCard each day. These can be used for a to go meal at La Posada or on-the-go at participating campus locations.

Weekly Plans provide flexibility and value for students who may not need as many meals as our Unlimited Plans offer. These plans offer swipes (or meals) for usage each week. Unused swipes will be removed each Sunday at 2:30am and replaced with a new balance of swipes for the new week.

 Meal Swipe Locations Meal Swipe Icon are available across campus to maximize convenience and help you to better utilize your meal plan. Use meal swipes and On-the-Go swipes at the locations below.

  • La Posada - Weekly and Community plan holders can use a swipe to enter our main dining hall in located in the residential neighborhood on campus.
    • Unlimited plan holders may enter La Posada as often as they like.
  • LaPo To-Go - Use a meal swipe and our reusable containers to take out from La Posada.  
  • The Market at SRC - Located in SRC Commons, this location offers a selection of ready to eat favorites.
  • Union Club - Use your meal plan inside the SUB at this made-to-order location.
  • Einstein Bros. Bagels - Meal plan holders may use a meal swipe for a select menu at this national brand.

Dining Dollars are just like cash loaded onto your LoboCard for use at any food location on campus, including your national and local favorite eateries. All meal plans come with Dining Dollars and can be reloaded at any time. Dining Dollars do not expire between Fall and Spring semesters as long as you purchase a plan for both semesters; in this case, unused balances will expire at the end of Spring semester.

With great food options around every corner on campus, your Dining Dollars will be great for grabbing snacks, coffee, and meals at all of our locations on campus. 

Dining Dollars are accepted at all UNM Food dining locations in person or through the Grubhub Campus Dining app.

Eating healthy, balanced meals is important to your overall health and wellness. Balanced U is your guide to finding foods that are right for you. Look for the Balanced U icons on items that take dietary needs into consideration. These icons will not only guide you in eating healthy but they will also identify which items are compliant with dietary restrictions.

Our dining hall features stations devoted to meeting your dietary needs and preferences. Rooted is a plant based station that offers comprehensive and satisfying vegetarian and vegan meals. The G8 station features exciting dishes made without the 8 major food allergens. Visit this station for meals prepared without milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans. These stations provide robust options for diners with specific dietary needs. On-the-Go options are marked with labels that assist diners in identifying products that fit their dietary needs.

At UNM Food, we know that eating well helps fuel studies and activities that make your college experience happy and memorable. You’ll find options that fit your dining style and wellness goals throughout La Posada and beyond the dining hall. We offer the Balanced U program at our dining locations around campus to help you find what you need but know that our team of chefs and associates are there to serve you and help you get the most out of your meal plan. In addition, we have many options to address dietary restrictions, preferences, and allergen-avoidance. If you can’t find what you need, ask someone at the location, reach out to us through social media, or email us at mealplans@unm.edu.

Freshmen living on main campus are required to hold an Unlimited or Weekly meal plan for their first academic year. Freshmen may select whichever eligible plan best suits their needs. If a plan is not selected, the default plan, Lobo Weekly 15, will be activated for use and charged to the student's Bursar account. Changes to a different eligible plan may be made during the first 3 weeks of the Fall or Spring semester. 

*Release requests made to mealplans@unm.edu will be evaluated and are subject to denial.

Download UNM Food User Guide