Meal Plans
We offer meal plans for students on and off campus. All options also include Knight Bucks to use at Peet's Coffee Shop and Johnny's Cafe. Explore our options to find a plan that fits your needs.
New This Fall: Eat at any Retail location using your meal plan! Introducing Flex Meals. See below for more details.
All student meal plans and Knight Bucks expire at the end of the semester.
Sign up for your Fall meal plan today!
Sign up or change your meal plan
–Sign in using your Calvin credentials & go to "My Meal plans".
New This Fall 2025
Important Updates to Calvin’s Meal Plans: More Flexibility and Better Options
We want to keep you informed about changes coming to Calvin’s meal plans for the upcoming academic year. These updates come after careful evaluation and valuable feedback from students and families. Our goal remains the same: to provide students with a dining experience that is flexible, satisfying, and supportive of their well-being—both in and out of the classroom.
Meal plan pricing will increase slightly next year. This adjustment reflects rising food costs and operational needs, but it also comes alongside meaningful improvements designed to benefit each student's daily experience on campus. We’re confident these changes offer added value, more convenience, and better variety—meeting the evolving needs and preferences of our campus community.
What’s Changing:
New Plan Structure: Calvin is transitioning away from the current block plan model for residential students and returning to a weekly reset plan—a structure that was part of Calvin Dining for many years and has contributed to widespread student satisfaction at many institutions similar to Calvin. This change provides consistency and makes it easier for students to budget their meals throughout the semester. The new plans will include:
Core 19, Core 17, Core 14, and Core 7 – offering 19, 17, 14, or 7 meals per week, respectively.
For upper-division students living off-campus or in on-campus apartments, we will continue to offer two block plan options: Knollcrest 60 and Joust 30.
All-Day Dining: Launched as a pilot in spring 2025, our All-Day Dining concept gives students the ability to dine on their own schedules—from early morning to late evening. This shift supports students with busy or varying schedules, ensuring they never have to miss a meal.
More Variety & Flexibility: Students on weekly plans will also enjoy up to two Flex Meals per week, which can be used at campus favorites like Johnny’s and Peet’s for special meal features. This long-requested change adds dining variety and location flexibility.
Guest Passes Included: Each weekly plan includes one guest pass per week, giving students the chance to utilize their meal plan and host visiting family or friends for a meal.
Why These Changes Matter: We’ve listened to concerns about food quality, choice, and convenience—and we’re responding. Our dining partner, Creative Dining Services, has made significant efforts to expand menu options, reduce wait times, decrease food waste, and accommodate a broader range of tastes and dietary needs.
All these updates are part of a student-centered approach aimed at improving daily life on campus while remaining mindful of value and affordability.
The updated meal plans and pricing are finalized and posted below.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. We are committed to nourishing every student’s journey at Calvin—physically, socially, and spiritually.
2025-2026 Meal Plans
Core 19 Plan
- Available to all students.
- This plan provides you with 19 meals per week that reset weekly with no daily limits. By doing this, students have the ability to eat when they want during the week.
- Includes 150 Knight Bucks per semester that can be used at any of the retail operations and to bring guests to dine in the dining halls.
- Two of these meals, called flex meals, can be utilized at Johnny's or Peet's.
- One guest pass per week.
Core 17 Plan
- Available to all students.
- This plan provides you with 17 meals per week that reset weekly with no daily limits. By doing this, students have the ability to eat when they want during the week.
- Includes 125 Knight Bucks per semester that can be used at any of the retail operations and to bring guests to dine in the dining halls.
- Two of these meals, called flex meals, can be utilized at Johnny's or Peet's.
- One guest pass per week.
Core 14 Plan
- Available to all Sophomores, Upperclassmen, KE, & Off-Campus.
- This plan provides you with 14 meals per week that reset weekly with no daily limits. By doing this, students have the ability to eat when they want during the week.
- Includes 75 Knight Bucks per semester that can be used at any of the retail operations and to bring guests to dine in the dining halls.
- Two of these meals, called flex meals, can be utilized at Johnny's or Peet's.
- One guest pass per week.
Core 7 Plan
- Available to all Sophomores, Upperclassmen, KE, & Off-Campus.
- This plan provides you with 7 meals per week that reset weekly with no daily limits. By doing this, students have the ability to eat when they want during the week.
- Includes 40 Knight Bucks per semester that can be used at any of the retail operations and to bring guests to dine in the dining halls.
- Two of these meals, called flex meals, can be utilized at Johnny's or Peet's.
- One guest pass per week.
Knollcrest 60 Plan
- Available for Knollcrest East & Off-Campus students.
- 60 meals per semester (3 average per week)
- Includes 30 Knight Bucks per semester that can be used at any of the retail operations and to bring guests to dine in the dining halls.
Joust Plan
- Available for Knollcrest East & Off-Campus students.
- 30 meals per semester (average 1 per week)
- Includes 15 Knight Bucks per semester that can be used at any of the retail operations and to bring guests to dine in the dining halls.
Quick Comparison
Core Plans
| Core Plan | Total Meals per week* | Knight Bucks | Cost per semester | First-year students | Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | KE, off-campus students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core 19 | 19/week | 150 | $3660 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Core 17 | 17/week | 125 | $3500 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Core 14 | 14/week | 75 | $3000 | No | Yes | Yes |
| Core 7 | 7/week | 40 | $1600 | No | Yes | Yes |
* Two Flex Meals and one guest pass per week are included in the Core Plans. Flex meals and guest passes are optional and count toward the plan's Total Meals per week, if used.
Block Plans
| Block Plan | Meals per semester | Flex Meals per week | Guest Passes per week | Knight Bucks | Cost per semester | First-year students | Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors | KE, off-campus students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knollcrest | 60 | - | - | 30 | $950 | No | No | Yes |
| Joust | 30 | - | - | 15 | $475 | No | No | Yes |
Walk-In Rates
| Meal | Guest | Child (age 5-11) |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | $13 | $8 |
| Lunch | $17 | $10 |
| Dinner | $17.50 | $11 |
Children ages 0-4 eat free
Rates as of May 2025.
More Ways to Pay
Our meal plans include Knight Bucks which you can use at Peet's Coffee Shop and Johnny's Cafe. All meal plans and Knight Bucks expire at the end of the semester.
As of Fall 2025, additional Knight Bucks may not be purchased. Students may however, purchase additional Dining Dollars at any time.
Dining dollars is a debit card system accessed through your ID card which can be used at all dining locations. You can upload amounts through our Eatable app by connecting your debit/credit card.
Order and pay for your food in advance with your phone, from anywhere, and simply drop by to grab it when we tell you it's ready!
Flex Meals may be utilized as meal equivalencies at Johnny's Cafe or Peet's Coffee. Two flex meals per week are included with all Core Plans. Students may also used Dining Dollars, Knight Bucks, Debit, or Credit to make purchases at Johnny's or Peet's.
Change Forms and Other Resources
You are required to keep your ID card with you at all times. If you have lost or misplaced your ID, please visit the Student Life Office They will re-issue you a new ID card for a fee of $25.
We recognize how important having the right plan is to our student community, that's why we allow students to change their meal plans during the first two weeks of every semester!
Calvin Dining recognizes that there are times when students are unwell and that it may be unwise for them to come to a dining hall for meals. In those cases, we ask that students complete the Sick Meal Request form, to give permission for a friend to pick up your meal on your behalf.
Running low on your block plan before the end of the semester? To purchase additional meals, please contact us at calvindining@creativedining.com or call our main office at 616-526-6384.