PG Web Extra: 5 Things Every Grocer Should Know About Healthy Eating

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gears up to roll out its newly revamped Nutrition Facts label,  industry leaders remain at odds over whether the changes will actually make a difference in encouraging American consumers to make healthier choices.

Regardless of proposed portion-size adjustments, the addition of macronutrients and other label changes, the fact is that consumers are turning packages over and reviewing labels – especially ingredient lists – more than ever before. As a grocer, here are five things you should know to satisfy consumers’ desire for greater transparency in labeling and ingredients:

    Transparency is important. Heightened awareness surrounding allergies, sensitivities, digestive intolerance and chemical additives is driving consumers to look for short lists of “pronounceable” ingredients that appear to be devoid of chemicals, artificial ingredients, fillers and other undesirable attributes. Aside from the ingredients list, physically transparent packaging is also enticing, allowing customers to see exactly what they’re getting – such as a granola bar that’s clearly just nuts and fruit – as well as helping them compare product quality and value.
    Going beyond the hype. Consumers are also becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to looking beyond front-of-package callouts to make sure the ingredient list supports those claims. “Natural” is no longer enough; that claim needs to be defined by specific details, such as “minimally processed,” “no added hormones” and “no rBST.” “Free from” continues to be an attractive call out for consumers, encouraging them to further explore a product that doesn’t contain ingredients they wish to avoid.
    Simplicity rules. Consumers use and appreciate assistive shelf tags such as the Guiding Stars program to cut through the clutter and noise in the supermarket to find foods that fit their dietary needs. They don’t always have the time to read every label and decipher the enigmatic Nutrition Facts — they want the clear, concise insight that at-a-glance shelf tag labeling provides.
    Half-scratch home runs. By and large, consumers know they should be cooking and consuming more whole foods from scratch and fewer pre-packaged, prepared, “engineered” products. The problem is, few have time for elaborate made-from-scratch meals on a daily basis. Healthful products that can help them get good food on the table faster are highly desirable — everything from ready-to-cook selections like stir-fry or kabobs, to prepped ingredients like diced onions and peppers, and wholesome quick-cooking grains, can help busy shoppers provide nutritious meals and save time. Thanks to savvy grocers, the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
    Loving local. The “locavore” movement is gaining momentum as consumers look to eat more food that’s locally produced, for both the nutritional and economic benefits. Partnerships between retailers and local farms/food producers satisfy this desire for consumers and allow them to fill their shopping cart with these foods in a one-stop shop, rather than needing to visit local farmers’ markets.

While it might seem as though it’s not the grocer’s job to help customers make healthier choices — only to provide the options — there’s actually a great deal that supermarket operators can do to create a more efficient and health-conscious shopping experience. Simple labeling is a start, along with providing the right mix of products and presentation to help customers make eating healthy easier.
- See more at: http://www.progressivegrocer.com/departments/center-store/pg-web-extra-5-things-every-grocer-should-know-about-healthy-eating#sthash.8zWUTKnA.dpuf

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KERNICK: Dietician’s top 3 tips to healthy college eating

Cooking to me is like going to the dentist.
It brings little to no enjoyment, but it’s a necessary evil and is sometimes unexpectedly pleasant if I get a cool treat at the end.
Okay, so maybe that’s a bit extreme, but cooking as a college students sucks. Not only are there no grocery stores near campus, but trying to maintain a budget and a million time commitments makes it nearly impossible to become the next Julia Child.
After a few weeks of trying to create good meals back in America, I started to give up. I bought Hot Pockets and resorted to eating out frequently. In the midst of my Jimmy Johns, Fuzzy’s and Dominoes induced stupor I decided to do some research on good meals to make and what groceries don’t go bad instantly. In doing so, I discovered that Hy-Vee provides all kinds of services to customers free of charge or with a small fee through their dietician. I went to the Hy-Vee at 5010 O St. to meet with dietician Karen Kuzma and learn about these services and other tips to eating healthier in college. Here were some of her top tips:
1. Frozen foods are your friend
Frozen fish fillets, chicken and veggies are all things to keep stocked in your freezer. Kuzma said that keeping canned items around—such as tuna and beans also helps you whip something up when you’re in a crunch. As for making a full meal plan every week, Kuzma said this isn’t really a realistic plan. Instead, she said try and plan a few meals a week and to have five to six easy recipes on hand.
2. Prep a few things Sunday
Another thing that can make eating healthy easier during the week is to work a little ahead on Sunday. Baking a few chicken breasts or making Croc-Pot chicken tacos on a Sunday can provide you with multiple meals for the week. Croc-Pot meals along with other easy 30 minute meals can also be found on the Hy-Vee website. Quick cooking inspirations also exist all on Pinterest. There’s no shortage of quick fix meal ideas, but the problem is not planning. Picking just a couple of these meals and doing prep or grocery shopping Sunday will make the week a lot less hectic.
3. Diversify your fruits and veggies
Once you get to a point where you’re cooking more at home, try to make an effort to add more fruits and veggies to everything you eat. Kuzma said the biggest food problem Americans struggle with is not getting a variety of the “good for you” foods. She said a person usually eats the same five fruits and veggies almost exclusively. She suggests making a casserole or flatbread pizza where you can add everything from tomatoes to zucchini and squash.
What I’ve learned in my quest to eat better is that eating well takes planning. It’s fairly easy to stock up on frozen foods that can quickly be cooked but still have nutritional value, it just takes a bit of forethought. If you’re coming from a place where you have no idea what to cook, spend some time on Pinterest or set up a free grocery shopping tour at Hy-Vee to learn about what to stock up on. Simply saying that cooking is hard and ordering Chinese food is not a start. To eat healthy, you have to take initiative and time, but I’m certain it will pay off in the end.
sourced by: The Daily Nebraskan

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