Every Tuesday, the Northern Iowan editors gather in the basement of Maucker Union to lay out the paper for publishing on Wednesday.
Every Tuesday, editors Caden Shea and Bailey Klinkhammer try a different snack from Essentials. Over the past year, the two editors have curated the best snacks offered from Essentials.
Honorable Mentions
Froot Candies
Any drink available for $1
10. Monster Ultra
For Caden’s freshman and sophomore year, it was rare not to see one of these in his hand. Also known as the “white Monster,” this energy drink is unexplainably good. With a subtle but tasty flavor, this is one of the first energy drinks you should look at when you go to Essentials.
9. Cookie Crunch M&Ms
The Cookie Crunch M&Ms are a fairly new addition to the Essentials line up, but, they’ve been loved in the office. The office has a strong affinity for sweets, and this has tickled our editor’s palettes. The inside is light and crunchy, and the outside is the chocolate flavor you know and love. A definite hit.
8. Teriyaki Yakisoba
This imaginative spin on ramen is a must-eat if you are in need of a quick meal before class. Just add water, heat it up and eat. Its flavor is so interesting and will leave you wanting more for the rest of the day. It’s cheap, it’s tasty, it’s Teriyaki Yakisoba.
7. Chocolate or Strawberry Core Power Protein Shake
If you’re like Caden and constantly on the fitness grind, look no further than a Core Power protein shake. You can barely tell the difference between this and flavored milk. This one is perfect for everyone from gym sharks to people just looking for something different in their beverage repertoire.
6. Diet Coke
You know it, you love it, Diet Coke simply had to make the list. Diet Coke is a Northern Iowan office staple. Its appearances aren’t just limited to layout days, but even makes appearances during editorial meetings, something that other items on this list have yet to do.
5. Taco Flavor Blasted Chex Mix
If you are looking for something unique and unlike anything else you have had, you need to try this. It’s like someone dumped a packet of taco seasoning in a bag of Chex Mix, shook it, and presented it to the masses. It is nothing less than a work of beauty. It’s like a fiesta in your mouth.
4. Sno Berry Peace Tea
I don’t know what flavor this is. I don’t know what it is trying to be. But all I know is that it is delicious. The moment it first touched my tongue I knew it was a moment I would never forget. It is the best flavor of anything out there. It’s unique, sweet and a little tart. It is just something that everyone in the world might need to try. It could be the thing that ends all wars.
3. Cookie Dough Bites
Both of the Chocolate Chip and Birthday Cake Cookie Dough Bites offered in the cold spot in Essentials have taken the Northern Iowan office by storm. The hype has even reached Northern Iowan Executive Editor Caroline Christensen who said the cookie bites are “quite possibly the best sweet treat she’s had in months.”
“Not to be dramatic, but the birthday cake cookie dough bites may have changed my life,” she added. “They are perfect for snacking your stress away.”
2. Chocolate Covered Chocolate Cheesecake Bites
Those in search of a rich sweet treat can find that in the chocolate covered chocolate cheesecake bites. Although refreshingly sweet and surprisingly light, Essentials doesn’t consistently offer these delicacies, so keep an eye out for them when they’re in stock.
1. Meat & Pepperjack Stick Pack
Arguably Caden and Bailey’s favorite snack in Essentials, this has been a layout staple in the editorial office. Most notably was its absence in the beginning half of the spring semester, which the editors griped about until its eventual return, being replaced by a different brand. While the brand that’s being sold now may not be the brand that Caden and Bailey originally fell in love with, the new brand still gets the job done.
