by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A new nutrition ratings program dubbed “Dietitian’s Choice” has begun at Coborn’s stores in the area, including the one in St. Joseph.
Cash Wise stores and Marketplace Foods stores will also feature the new system.
Dietitian’s Choice will replace NuVal, a previous nutrition-ratings system that informed shoppers of the nutritional value of food items on a 1- to 100-rating system, 100 denoting the most nutritious and healthiest. NuVal is now in the process of being phased out.
The new system not only has an in-store rating for food items but also includes a widespread outreach education effort to customers via online efforts, public presentations, classes, grocery tours, health fairs, meal-planning and nutritious recipes. The goal of the holistic approach is to help make people become nutrition-savvy so they can maximize their overall physical health and well-being. That was also the goal of the NuVal system, but Dietitian’s Choice is more expanded and includes nutritionists in Coborn’s stores who can give one-to-one personal advice about food and health issues.
Dietitian’s Choice was developed by registered dietitians who work for Coborn’s. The dietitians scrutinized products sold in Coborn’s grocery stores as well as those of Cash Wise (also owned by Coborn’s), and they considered six criteria for each product they examined.
Those criteria are products with whole grain listed as the first ingredient, those that are lower in sodium content, lower in added sugars, lower in saturated fat, a good source of healthy fat and a good source of protein.
Food products deemed the most nutritious are given a “Dietitian’s Choice” logo on the products’ price tags. And so far, there are more than 5,500 such products with that designation attached to them.
“Our company’s vision calls for us to inspire healthy living for our guests (customers),” said Emily Coborn, vice president of fresh merchandising. “The Dietitian’s Choice program is another way for us to live out our vision by empowering guests to easily identify better-for-you food items during shopping trips.”
Other resources
Dietitian’s Choice fits nicely with Coborns’ other ways to boost awareness of healthy food choices.
• There is a website, Coborns.com that features “Dietitian’s Corner” and that offers many self-help resources and guides.
• Registered dietitians for Coborn’s provide in-store services that include personal consultations with shoppers, community presentations, classes, grocery tours, health fairs and meal planning.
• The dietictans have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
• Coborn’s offers many varied recipes for every kind of meal occasion.
• A monthly email is available called “Dietitian Digest.”
• There are recipe videos online twice every month.
• Coborn’s dieticians blog for “Produce for Better Health.”
• There is an online “Foodie Feature of the Month,” and a live video every Tuesday.
• Coborn’s offers a weight-management program for employees twice a year.
• There is a “Wellness Wednesday” held at select stores the second Wednesday of every month in partnership with Coborn’s pharmacies.
• There are an increasing number of healthy-foods in-store demos.
• There is an “Eat Healthy, Shop Smart” newsletter that combines food-safety issues, pharmacy advice and a kids’ section.
• Pharmacists at Coborn’s are also more than willing to consult with customers about issues surrounding medication, health and lifestyle.
CentraCare endorsement
The Dietitian’s Choice program has earned an endorsement from the dietitians at CentraCare Health, central Minnesotan’s major health-care provider.
CentraCare also strongly believes in outreach programs that help people improve their food choices, fight obesity and enhance overall health and well-being.
“We are proud to endorse this program that Coborn’s has developed,” said Jodi Gertken, director of wellness for CentraCare Health. “Coborn’s and CentraCare have a history of collaborating to improve the health of our communities and this is another example of that. Coborn’s developed this program under the guidance of their supermarket-registered dietitians, which built credibility from the start. By implementing innovative systems such as this, we are making it easier for people to make healthier choices. Our organization is proud to endorse this diligent and detailed work.”
About Coborn’s
Based in St. Cloud, Coborn’s Inc. is now in its 96th year as an employee-owned grocery retailer with more than 7,500 employees and 53 stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
The Coborn’s-owned stores’ names are Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods and Save-A-Lot.
It also owns CobornsDelivers, an online grocery ordering and home-delivery service.
This year, Coborn’s Inc. was named by the Minneapolis Star Tribune to its “Top Workplaces in Minnesota” list.
This is Coborn’s official logo for its new Dietitian’s Choice program. For recipes from its companion program Dietitian’s Corner, visit thenewsleaders.com.