<p>I'm curious to know what kind of food options there are near the college, as well as what's available on campus. Are there lots of healthy options i.e. fresh fruit and veggies? Is there a lot of locally grown food or a supermarket nearby?</p>
<p>This might be of interest:
<a href=“60 Best Colleges for Food in America for 2013”>Daily Meal | Cooking Tips, Restaurants, Food Reviews, Recipes;
<p>There is a grocery store. I can’t comment on the quality of what’s offered, though (I’m a parent of a current student, but i know he gets food sometimes from McNally’s, which I think is in walking distance, and if not, even if a student doesn’t have a car plenty of people do, so that’s not a problem). There is a farmer’s market in town on Saturdays (but only for a few weeks during the college year) and that’s just a couple of blocks from campus.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about food at Grinnell or really any college you’re considering, to be honest. Just about every school has a variety of food stations and know that a lot of students want healthy food and many are vegetarian.</p>
<p>there also are restaurants in walking distance, too. It sounds like you haven’t visited. The campus is about two blocks from a charming town center. You can go to locally owned restaurants with different types of cuisine or get your fast food fix at chains (but it doesn’t sound like that’s what you’re looking for!). And, if you want to go farther afield, whether it’s down the road a bit or to another town or city, plenty of students have cars. My son never had a problem getting a ride if he needed it or the kids wanted to do a road trip.</p>
<p>I raised my children eating a lot of fruit and veggies. Especially fruit. I have a child at Grinnell, and have visited in the area. My child reports that it is not easy to get good quality fresh fruit in the dining hall (We have fresh fruit at every meal at home and she really missed it.). I find when I am eating out in the area that fruit and veggies on not as available as I am use to, and I supplement my diet by buying fruit at the local grocery store. </p>
<p>Otherwise the dining hall has a fair number of options. I would not let the fair at the dining hall weigh too much on your decision though. Food matters, but it is changeable at any school. </p>
<p>There are lots of healthy options. Coming from an area where a lot of fruit is grown nearby, I cannot say that Iowa wins in the market of fresh fruit. I can say that the food is pretty tasty and one of the reasons I ultimately chose Grinnell. If you are interested in food justice at Grinnell, this might be an article you would want to read:</p>
<p><a href=“Food as a Social Justice Issue | Grinnell College”>http://www.grinnell.edu/news/food-social-justice-issue</a></p>
<p>My son liked the food pretty well and we did too when we visited. The fruits tended to be of the sturdy variety. Good variety of stations with stir-fry, soups, salad bars, pasta, etc… My son’s favorite thing was when they put out an Asian noodle bar. I will say the student center is an absolutely beautiful place to eat.</p>