Here's the deal, being a 3rd year student at NYU I've had quite a bit of experience as far as what to eat and where to eat.
During my first year, I actually got a meal plan in the beginning of the fall semester and then I realized something interesting. There is no cafeteria in the 26th street dorm where I lived. The closest dining hall is on 3rd avenue and 14th street, which is a 20 minute walk from the dorm or a 10 minute ride on the NYU bus (if it comes at all)
If you will be living in the 26th street dorm, you will have a kitchenette in your room with a decent size fridge and there are a few supermarkets around for you to do a quick grocery shopping. Believe it or not, it will save you money in the long run vs having to pay for a meal plan. In case you didn't notice, meal plans at NYU cost a pretty penny and the dining halls are not very conveniently located.
Aside from supermarkets, there are a ton of places around here to eat and some of them even offer student discounts. As for the cafeteria inside the school, as some people have said already, it's not all that and a bit overpriced, but it comes in handy on those rainy or snowy days when you want to grab some food and not go outside.
If you still want to go along with the meal plan, you can give it a shot and see how it works out for you. NYU gives you a few weeks to cancel the meal plan with almost a full refund.
Hope it helps,