The Nutritional Services You Might Find At Your Local Grocery Store

Grocery store aisles are where diets can be made or broken. There are many options for healthy eating, from fresh and nutrition-packed produce to whole grain bread and cereals. But for every good-for-you option, there feels like there are two diet-busting items.

Each year, Boston Medical estimates that 45 million Americans go on a diet. In the search of weight loss, Americans also spend $33 billion on weight loss products annually. Healthy eating, however, is about more than weight loss, according to the CDC. By following a nutritious and well-balanced diet, a person may experience a longer life, a stronger immunity system, healthy muscles and bones, and have a reduced chance of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and different cancers. Whether a person opts to follow a diet plan or to just eating healthier, making the right purchase decisions at a grocery store can be a bit daunting, but there is help.

Walking into a grocery store can be a bit overwhelming for anyone, but especially if you are trying to stick to a diet and make healthy food selections. So, several stores are offering assistance to shoppers. Kroger, for instance, has set up Kroger Little Clinic that provides nutrition advice for customers, according to Taste of Home. The services offered by Kroger Little Clinic include walk-and-talk sessions, nutrition coaching, and weight management programs.

This business model of offering nutrition services in a grocery store is becoming more popular, per Food Navigator. Hy-Vee was one of the earliest retailers to offer in-store dietician services to customers (via Grocery Dive). As part of the program, dietitians will give a tour of the store highlighting where certain items are displayed, reports Drug Store News. Other stores may set up a special section of items hand-picked by a dietician or provide cooking classes, according to Food Network. 

Next time you find yourself in a grocery store, check into what resources it offers to help you succeed on your diet or healthy eating plan.