College students tend to subside on a daily diet of ramen noodles, 7-Eleven dogs and mac 'n' cheese. Once in a while you need to give your body a break from the chemicals, salts and other mysterious ingredients found in cheap, prepackaged foods. Otherwise you'll begin to glow in the dark at one of those all-night raves.

Some tips:

1. Go for Mediterranean mom-and-pop joints. Cheap falafel, hummus, tabouli and gyros are a much better for ya than burgers. And they're just as cheap too.

2. Cuban, a staple in our area, is hearty wholesome and tres affordable. A big helping of beans and rice or ropa vieja will give you all the protein and carbs you need for a late-night cram session.

3. Check out the natural foods stores — a must for vegetarian students. The delis at these supermarkets offer a range of foods, often at prices that won't dip into your beer money.

4. Mom-and-pop family-style restaurants, frequented mainly for breakfast, offer lunches and dinners like Mom's and substantially cheaper than your local Bennigan's.

5. Asian is always a good way to go. Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants usually offer entrees at around 5 bucks. Just stay away from overly fried foods and dishes prepared with MSG.

Below are some affordable places culled from the Weekly Planet Dining Guide and other sources:

Hillsborough Community College-Dale Mabry

La Teresita Restaurant, 3248 W. Columbus Drive (813-879-4909). Stepchild of Tampa's famous eatery since 1976, this local Cuban coffee and sandwich shop features quick meals at rock bottom prices. There's the requisite Cuban sandwich and plenty of classic dishes, all for under a fiver.

Bamboo Flute, 2307 S. Dale Mabry, Tampa (813-258-2858). The Bamboo Flute offers plenty of fresh, flavorful Vietnamese dishes at low-dough prices. Most entrees run $5.50-$7.25; a few specialties go up to $13.95

University of Tampa

Evos, 609 S. Howard Ave. (813-258-EVOS). College students live on a steady diet of MSG and preservatives to save dough. Evos teaches us that we can still have fast-food and our health at healthy prices.

The Old Meeting House, 901 S. Howard Ave. (813-251-1754). Not a far drive for UT kids. For more than a half-century, this beloved institution has been delighting people with good old American diner food. Blue plate specials are served on blue plates at prices around $5. Got parental dough to splurge? Treat yourself to a malt with homemade ice cream. Cash only, with an on-site ATM.

University of South Florida-Tampa

Sawatdee Thai Cuisine, 10938 56th St. N. (813-985-2071). This humble little cafe is a neighborhood favorite in the university area for its inexpensive lunch buffet and a dinner menu that mixes a melange of Thai and Indian flavors. The cooking's not fancy, but it's fresh, filling and nicely spiced.

Trang Viet Cuisine, 1524 E. Fowler Ave. (813-979-1464). Lunch and dinner daily. Tasty, healthy Vietnamese cooking with a French flair, featuring fresh, homegrown herbs and daily market specials. Weekday lunch specials are a bargain.

Vallarta Mexican Restaurant 9255 N. 56th. St., Temple Terrace (813-987-2720). The Jimenez family puts plenty of tasty dishes on the table, all served with zesty homemade salsa and guacamole. Smaller lunch portions start at $3.50.

Phoenicia, 11154 30th St., Bruce B. Downs, same strip mall as Oz, Tampa (813-866-0336). Great health-smart, homemade hummus, tabouli, baba ganoush, falafel sandwiches and spinach pies for under $3 apiece.

Monica's, at Terrace Sports Bowling Alley, 5311 E. Busch Blvd., Temple Terrace (813-984-9630) A Mexican place in a bowling alley? The aghast looks this setup tends to elicit are totally unmerited. Monica's has fresh, filling Southwestern treats. Make sure you go at lunchtime for the real bargains. At dinnertime, try the quesadillas, a great bargain for less than 5 bucks. Oh, and Monica's salsa's the best and freshest we've tasted.

St. Petersburg College — Clearwater Campus

Yanny's, 1258 Highland Ave. S. (727-446-5797). Greek-style breakfast and lunches can't be beat here along with Yanni's famous French toast. Be sure and try a cup of homemade yogurt, the freshest, healthiest, most delicious live-culture, whole-milk yogurt you'll ever taste. Closed Mondays.

Bunny Hop Cafe & Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St. (727-443-6703). Graze at the 50-item salad bar, order a sandwich on fresh-baked bread or a smoothie. Individual entrees include fresh sushi, tofu egg salad sandwiches and free-range turkey breast sandwiches, or complete dinners like teriyaki tofu with brown rice and mixed veggies, or lentil loaf with mushroom gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. Complete dinners average $5 to $6.

SPC- St. Pete Campus

Athenian Gardens, 6940 22nd Ave. N. (727-345-7040). You probably can't get more delicious family-style Greek. Swift, efficient service and tasty food. The hefty gyros sandwich is a feast.

Nature's Finest, 6651 Central Ave. (727-381-1806). A full-service supermarket at 15,000 square feet, the largest around. The takeout deli dishes up fresh baked goods, vegetarian, vegan, even macrobiotic takeout, with choices like bean stew, good organic vegan pizzas, vegetarian and vegan lasagna and terrific salads.

USF-St. Pete

Adobo Grill 167 Second Ave. N at Baywalk (727-823-8226). Like Red Mesa but can't afford the great, upscale fare at this Southwestern Nirvana? Try Adobo Grill. You could call it Red Mesa Jr. Owned by the same folks, this tiny Mex taqueria serves up fast food with a fresh twist. Try the fish tacos, two soft wheat shells filled with grilled mahi-mahi, angel hair cabbage, or the roast pork burrito with salsa verde, sauteed poblano chile, onions and crema, washed down with Mexican beer or homemade sangria.

Sahara Cafe, 624 First Ave. S. (727-898-4455). Check out this minuscule cafe for healthy, high-quality and especially flavorful food at low-dough prices. Homemade pita breads overflow with fillings, like Makanik, a huge pita wrap made with spicy beef and lamb sausage, pine nuts, onions, tomatoes and lemon juice for just $3.69. Salads and vegetarian platters, like Tiropita Platter, a special blend of feta cheese and seasonings baked in a phyllo crust, served with Greek salad, and hummus, are real deals at prices from $3.25 to $4.75. Pastries made with pistachio nuts, honey and phyllo are outstanding.

Tamarind Tree Cafe, 537 Central Ave. (727-898-2115). This happy little Cafe puts the accent on healthy but doesn't leave out the flavor. The food is savory and satisfying enough to convert any carnivore, especially their vegetarian chili. Vegetarian lasagna is comfort food. Special vegetarian dinners one evening a month and can be vegan by request.

Fourth Street Shrimp Store, 1006 Fourth St. N. (727-822-0325). This longtime neighborhood favorite packs them in with seafood that's fresh, fast and value priced. Nothing fancy, just the basics: fresh fish, shrimp and grouper; broiled, fried or blackened; and ice-cold beer. You can't beat the $2.95 fish sandwich for lunch.

Mazzaro Coffee and Italian Market, 2909 22nd Ave N. (727-321-2400). Open Monday through Saturday. Foods are prepared the old-fashioned way. Incredible bread is baked in a wood-fired brick oven, and their coffee is roasted in an antique roaster. Take-out deli with cold meats, cheeses, sandwiches, lasagna, meat loaf, dry goods like pasta, olive oil, herbs, olives.

Rollin' Oats Whole Foods Market and Cafe, 2842 Ninth St. N. (727-821-6825). A great addition to the St. Pete scene, this combination market/cafe features vegetarian and vegan specialties. For salad lovers there's a generous Middle Eastern hummus salad and a house salad of mixed greens with a melange of veggies and good dressings made in house.

SPC-Tarpon Springs

Costa Restaurant, 521 Athens St. (727-938-6890). This inexpensive gem serves broiled snapper or octopus with garlic and oregano and traditional Greek entrees like dolmades, and lamb baked with orzo pasta and you-peel-'em shrimp.

This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2001.