Meal Plan
U of A dining halls are open daily during Fall and Winter semesters. They are closed overnight and may have modified hours during University closures. The dining halls are closed during the Spring and Summer semesters.
Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall (PLH) have an all-access meal plan that provides students unlimited entries to their corresponding residence dining hall throughout the school year.
The residence dining halls offer residents a variety of nutritious options and comfort foods. You can access the dining hall as many times as you want each day and eat as much or as little as you choose during operating hours. Residents can focus on studying and adjusting to university life instead of grocery shopping, meal planning and washing dishes.
If you're not living in Lister Residence or PLH, check out the voluntary meal plan options!
2023-2024 MEAL PLAN
7-DAY ACCESS PLAN (Lister and PLH)
8-month contract: $5,524
If you are on the 7-day all-access plan, you can enter the dining hall every day of the week from the day you move in until the day you move out. This plan is intended for students who will be remaining in residence on weekends.
5-DAY ACCESS PLAN (Lister only)
8-month contract: $4,821
If you choose a 5-day plan, you can only enter the dining hall from Monday to Friday. This plan is intended for students planning on going home on weekends. Access on weekends will still be available by paying the walk-in rates.
HOW DOES MY MEAL PLAN WORK?
Simply tap your ONEcard at the entrance to gain access to the dining hall in your building and help yourself to a variety of choices. You can eat as much or as little as you choose and come back as often as you wish during operating hours. Fresh food and snacks are available throughout the day with plenty of choices no matter when you visit. During meal periods, you can choose from a range of made-to-order hot meals. The dining halls are open for dine in only, students cannot leave the dining hall with food or drinks.
You can eat as much or as little as you choose and come back as often as you wish during opening hours. Fresh food and snacks are available throughout the day with plenty of choices no matter when you visit. During peak meal periods, choose from a range of made-to-order hot meals!
Dining Hall Hours and Walk-in Pricing
Residents can access the dining hall as often as they wish during opening hours. Non-residents and guests may purchase access to the dining facilities at the walk-in rates.
U of A dining halls are open daily during Fall and Winter semesters. They are closed overnight and may have modified hours during University closures. The dining halls are closed during the Spring and Summer semesters.
Lister Dining Hall
Weekdays 7 am–10:30 pm
Weekends 8 am–10:30 pm
Breakfast: $13.99
Lunch: $17.50
Dinner: $18.99
Peter Lougheed Dining Hall
Weekdays 7 am–10 pm
Weekends 8 am–10 pm
Breakfast: $12.99
Lunch: $15.49
Dinner: $17.49
WHAT IF I CAN’T GO BACK TO THE DINING HALL FOR LUNCH?
Students who are unable to dine in person at the dining hall can pre-order a bagged lunch from Monday to Friday. Bagged lunches need to be ordered in advance and will be available for pickup in the dining hall the next day.
WHAT IF I HAVE ALLERGIES OR DIETARY RESTRICTIONS?
We've got you covered. Digital screens in Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall display interactive menus complete with information about nutrition and allergens. Our menu labeling program makes it easy to find options with these attributes.
Vegetarian
Menu items that fit a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet
Excludes: all meat, fish, and poultry
Includes: eggs, milk, dairy, honey
Vegan
Foods made from plant-based food items only
Excludes: Eggs, Honey, Milk & Dairy, and any other animal-derived ingredients
Sustainable Seafood
Seafood ingredients third-party certified as sustainably sourced Wild Seafood: Marine Stewardship Council, Ocean Wise Farmed Seafood: Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP 1,2,3, or 4 stars)
Locally Grown
Major ingredients that are grown, raised or produced in Alberta
No Gluten
Menu items that are made without gluten ingredients
Halal
Single ingredients or recipes
Halal certified proteins
Halal permitted foods
Excludes all Haram products
Third party certification available
Plant Forward
Menu items that incorporate more plant-based ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds. Plant forward is not necessarily vegan or vegetarian and can include small amounts (< 2 oz.) of animal protein.
WINTER BREAK FAQ
Yes, if your meal plan is purchased by December 21, access to Lister and PLH will be granted.
Any meal plans sold after December 21 will not have building access until January 5, 2024, so your meal plan will not be accessible until the new semester starts.
Your meal plan will be active on your account, but access to the building will not be activated until January 5, 2024.
Both buildings require card access during the break, so you will not be able to access the dining halls. If you plan to use your voluntary meal plan during the winter break, please ensure you purchase it by December 21.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall offer meal plans to ensure students receive well-rounded and nutritious meals. Save time and don’t worry about cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping!
As a key piece of residence programming, the meal plan facilitates community building and engagement opportunities and allows students to take a break from their studies and connect with their peers.
The dining halls do not close during the academic year. We are open on long weekends, reading weeks and the winter break.
Regular hours of operation
Weekdays, 7 am–10:30 pm
Weekends, 8 am–10:30 pm
Fresh food and snacks are available throughout the day, with plenty of choices no matter when you visit. During meal periods, you can choose from a range of made-to-order hot meals.
From healthy options to comfort food, our dining halls have a dedicated station to satisfy all your cravings. Our stations always feature a meat and vegetarian daily special. In addition, you can always customize your plate by selecting options from our various stations.
Wondering what delicious dishes we are serving up? Check out our daily menus in advance on CampusDish.Yes, we have a 4 week menu rotation. All our menus are posted on Campus Dish.
Our social media accounts @UAlbertaDining also feature all the upcoming promotions and daily features such as pop up stations, themed nights and special events.
Interactive displays in the dining halls show you everything you need to know about what you’re eating—from allergens and nutrition to vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, Halal options, and more! There’s also a registered dietitian available to help you plan your meals and provide one on one consultations.
We have a dietary labeling program that makes it easy to find options with these eight attributes:
No Dairy: Identifies menu items that are made without milk ingredients.
Plant Forward: Identifies menu items that contain 60 grams or less of animal-based ingredients per serving. Recipes may or may not be vegetarian/vegan.
Vegetarian: Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet
- Excludes: all meat, fish, and poultry
- Includes: eggs, milk, dairy, honey
Vegan: Plant-based food items only
- Excludes: eggs, honey, dairy and any other animal-derived ingredients
Sustainable Seafood
Seafood ingredients third-party certified as sustainably sourced Wild Seafood: Marine Stewardship Council, Ocean Wise Farmed Seafood: Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP 1,2,3, or 4 stars)
Locally Grown: Major ingredients that are grown, raised or produced in Alberta
No Gluten: Items that are made without gluten ingredients
Halal: Single ingredients or recipes that:
- contain Halal certified proteins
- contain Halal permitted foods
- exclude all Haram products
Third party certifications are available.
To learn more about how Dining Services can accommodate your dietary needs, contact us at dining@ualberta.ca. You can also make an appointment to walk through our food stations with our dietitian and executive chef!
We've got you covered. Digital screens in Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall display interactive menus complete with information about nutrition and allergens. Our menu labeling program makes it easy to find options with these attributes.
All students with severe allergies are encouraged to meet with the Chef and Dietitian to review their restrictions and learn how to navigate the stations to cater to their specific dietaries. You can book a consultation by contacting dining@ualberta.ca.
Please review our payment information page for details.
No. Given it is a room and board program, it is not possible to opt out of the meal plan if you live in Lister Residence or Peter Lougheed Hall.
Lister Residence contains some access to kitchen facilities for students to prepare the odd meal or snack but they are not equipped for full-time cooking.
No, external food is not allowed inside the dining hall. The dining halls are a controlled environment. All food items offered in the dining hall have a chain of custody that we are able to track. This is critical when it comes to tracing the source of a food borne illness or cross contamination.
If your friends or visiting family would like to join you for a meal, they will have to purchase entry to the dining hall.
No, take-out food is not available and full meals cannot be taken out of the dining hall aside from your bagged lunch. All meals must be consumed in the dining room.
Some small food items, like a piece of fresh fruit, coffee and a cookie will be allowed out.
Residents are welcome to study in the dining hall as often as they wish throughout the day, but we are asking students to only stay the necessary time to dine in during peak meal times (between 5–7 pm).
There’s a significant upper-year population in Lister Residence who serve as mentors and student leaders. We want to implement a meal plan that will help first-year students adjust to university life and support the entire community. This means that everyone who lives in these residences must participate in the meal plan.
Dining Services has a commitment to developing real-time feedback mechanisms in the dining halls through various communication channels.
TXTnTell (only available in Lister)
Submit your feedba
ck via text
- Create a single text message to 55744
- Answer questions in the order shown
- Dining hall code: lister
- Rate the food
1-2-3-4-5 (very poor - excellent) - Rate the services
1-2-3-4-5 (very poor - excellent) - Rate cleanliness
1-2-3-4-5 (very poor - excellent) - Rate menu variety
1-2-3-4-5 (very poor - excellent) - Add any comments or suggestions
- Send your text
Example: lister 5555 great food and service today!
Napkin Talk
This is a space where students and visitors can grab a napkin, give us feedback and post it on our wall anonymously. Our staff will even write a response to your feedback and post it back.
This is a great opportunity to tell us about something that you loved or maybe didn't like too much about your dining experience. We are very open to feedback and look forward to hearing from you!
Contact Dining Services
- Email
Email us at dining@ualberta.ca with any questions or concerns. If you know who you are sending it to, include that in the subject line - Social Media
Follow us @ualbertadining on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Eats from Home
Craving a "taste" of home and want to see your favourite meal featured in our menus? Students can submit a recipe to be featured in our dining halls.
Please email us at dining@ualberta.ca with any questions or concerns about the meal plan. We remain open to suggestions on how to improve our communications.