Medill cherubs often escape the 1835 Hinman cafeteria in search of one thing: healthy eats from Whole Foods, located less than half a mile away.
Judd Liebman of California said eating at Whole Foods with his friends reminds him of home.
“At home, I eat really healthy,” he said. “Whole Foods gives me so many options, and when I eat it my body feels good. I’d say that I go there twice every three days while I’m here.”
Liebman is one of many cherubs enticed by Whole Foods’ healthy options. The grocery store tries to set itself apart from other markets with its natural, organic options. Products including Pink Lady’s apples, yogurt-covered pretzels and Vosges chocolate have been a big hit among cherubs.
“People come here for the highest-quality food,”said Julie Bolton, an in-store cook at Whole Foods in Evanston. “We try to focus on products and catering to customer service. Those are our two main goals.”
Emily Bell, a cherub from Missouri, stumbled upon Whole Foods while looking for a convenience store, but later discovered the grocery store’s importance in her cherub life.
“A lot of us got sushi at Whole Foods during the first week of the program,” Bell said. “It was really cool. We all connected over our love for sushi.”
Like Bell, other cherubs have used Whole Foods as a hot spot for healthy social habits.
Isabel Echarte of Florida often goes to the grocery store with her friends.
“I kind of need to go to Whole Foods,” she said. “I like Whole Foods because the food, it’s healthier, but I wish it was cheaper.”
However healthy Whole Foods may be, some cherubs like Echarte and Chelsea Katz of Florida believe that the store is too expensive. CNN’s Money section described Whole Foods as “Whole Foods, Whole Paycheck.”
“It’s just a grocery store,” Katz said. “Whole Foods is more expensive than some other grocery stores, but I guess the food is just higher quality.”
Matt Silverman of Connecticut said that although it can be expensive, Whole Foods caters to his gluten-free needs. Silverman has celiac disease, which is a condition that harms the lining of the small intestine, making it difficult to absorb certain nutrients. Silverman must find gluten-free options every day.
“They have a wide selection of foods, especially gluten-free foods, which are accommodating for me,” he said.
Silverman took advantage of the options by buying cereal and a Glutino gluten-free breakfast bar from the store during the program.
“The food is better quality and healthier in some cases,” Silverman said. “It has appealing options other than just the typical store-brand cereal or soda.”
Bolton, the Whole Foods employee, said the Evanston store additionally focuses on college students’ needs by providing an in-store café that allows students to eat and socialize there.
“I’m glad teenagers are taking advantage of Whole Foods,” Bolton said. “I think it’s becoming more popular to be healthy and to exercise among that crowd, so Whole Foods suits them well.”
