When you live in a dorm on campus, you are required to buy a meal plan for meals, and they aren't cheap or flexible. This is why I couldn't afford to live in the dorms as an undergrad in America.
So a meal plan is like an subscription to meals? Why don't they sell it normally? How much is each meal with that plan?
In our Mensa at the university we pay between 1.50 and 4€ per meal (exclusive drinks).