Mar 8, 2017

By: Sue Borra, RD, Chief Wellness & Health Officer Executive Director, FMI Foundation and Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD, CFS, Vice President, Food Safety Programs, Food Marketing Institute 

Best Fork ForwardThis year’s National Nutrition Month theme, Put Your Best Fork Forward, is a nice reminder that making small shifts in food choices, one forkful at a time can result in big changes towards a healthy diet. 

This theme is an excellent vehicle to increase the variety of foods shoppers can explore. Encouraging a variety of new fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and protein sources are just a few of the suggestions to help shoppers have healthier menus for their family meals.

National Nutrition Month is the perfect time for shoppers to try out new, healthy recipes at family mealtime. Here are a few examples of the creative ways that Retail Dietitians around the country are celebrating National Nutrition month with their customers:

  • Celebrate National Nutrition Month with Hannaford Supermarkets “Put your Best Fork Forward” personality quiz. Shoppers who complete the quiz have a chance to win gift cards and coupons for their favorite healthy brands.

     

  • Festival Foods’ Mealtime Mentors are offering great recipes and ideas that show eating healthy can be delicious and nutritious with #NationalNutritionMonth and #RDNday. Have questions about preparing healthy meals? Ask Festival Foods’ Dietitian Team.

     

  • Shoppers could “March into Wellness” clinics at their local ShopRite stores to sample a variety of treats including pumpkin seeds, healthy bars and snacks made from quinoa. The in-store demonstrations showed customers that healthy family meals can be affordable and tasty.

     

  • Martin’s Super Market’s Mission Nutrition School Contest prepares a school toolkit that provides teachers with an opportunity to win items to educate students about nutrition. Twenty-five classrooms will be selected to win a toolkit from their local Martin’s Super Markets. 

As Registered Dietitians working for the Food Marketing Institute, we believe that every month can be nutrition month in food retail.

Finally, today is National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day so please join us in thanking all the Retail Dietitians who help millions of shoppers lead healthier lives and enjoy more family meals all year long!