As consumers become more conscious and concerned about what they are putting into their bodies, demand has increased for healthier, organic or specialized options. Grocery chains, such as Whole Foods Market and H-E-B, have responded to this demand not only by expanding inventory, but also by hiring nutrition specialists and developing health and wellness programs with everything from diet counseling to grocery store tours.
"People are starting to expect more from their grocery store experience," said Randa Whitaker, healthy eating specialist at the Whole Foods Champions location. "We want to show people the everyday healthy eating is easier than they think, no matter what their dietary needs are. Our success lies in whether we help guests leave feeling more confident."
As the healthy eating specialist, Whitaker regularly hosts health and wellness related events on-site at the Whole Foods Champions location. Whole Foods is one of the chains that has made it a goal to staff a team of nutritionists and dieticians at each of its stores. Events are largely focused on cooking tips, including healthy ways to add flavor to popular dishes and how to prepare healthy meals that children will like.
"It's all about equipping people with the tools they need to make healthier choices," Whitaker said. "Reservations for some of the classes at the Champions location are already filling up, leaving us looking for ways to make more room."
At H-E-B, customers can sign up for grocery store tours to learn about the store's healthy options. H-E-B's health and wellness initiatives have greatly expanded over the past decade, especially in the past few years. Other in-store services include counseling and consultation with a registered dietician. Company and group services include cooking demonstrations and Lunch and Learn events.
Whitaker said she believes a movement is taking place where more people are wondering about what they eat and realizing how much ingredients actually matter.
"It's a revolution of how we shop," she said. "People are becoming aware of the options and making healthy choices."
H-E-B
Grocery store tours
Customers are led on a tour—which can last up to 1.5 hours—by an H-E-B registered dietician and nutritionist, learning about the store's layout, reading labels and figuring out what is best for individuals and families.
Cost: $20/person, minimum of five people
Consultation
The one-hour private consultation with a registered dietician involves an assessment of medical history, dietary goals, healthy eating recommendations and devising a meal plan. A 45-minute follow-up consultation to assess progress can also be scheduled.
Classes
Classes include the H-E-Buddy Kids Cooking class for children ages 4–8, a one-hour group educational health class and live, interactive cooking demonstrations held in stores. A one-hour Lunch and Learn class covers topics like Super Foods, eating out right, allergy awareness and physical activity.
Tours and consultations can be scheduled online at www.heb.com
Whole Foods
Health Starts Here
Whole Foods' trademarked program is based on the Four Pillars of Healthy Eating—eating whole foods, that are plant-strong, nutrient dense and only contain healthy fats. Items in Whole Foods stores that meet these criteria are labeled with the HSH emblem.
Classes
Popular classes include a kids cooking class focusing on healthy eating and an adult cooking class that often includes a collaboration with the store's wine specialist. Whole Foods also hosts fitness classes with local instructors in areas such as yoga, zumba and pilo-yoga, a combination between pilates and yoga.
Online resources
The Whole Foods website provides hundreds of healthy recipes, videos containing healthy cooking techniques as well as tips on healthier ways to add flavor, cater to special diets and devise dishes for kids.
Contact Randa Whitaker for more information: [email protected], 281-803-6396 ext. 108
