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BOSTON, November 7, 2012 – The fast-growing ranks of Supermarket Dietitians (RDs) increasingly influence how foods are marketed to shoppers. To help these RDs build healthy eating habits with their customers, the food and nutrition education nonprofit Oldways has launched a new program called Oldways Nutrition Exchange (ONE).
The centerpiece of the program is a special ONE portal on the Oldways web site, where every month Oldways posts up to three new Supermarket RD “Toolkits” full of useful resources they can download for free. Each kit focuses on a hot consumer trend, such as whole grains, eating on a budget, cooking with kids, low sodium, canned food, frozen food, omega 3s, and more. Oldways combs through consumer and nutrition information from food companies and food trade associations, then adds information based on Oldways’ respected expertise, to create newsletter articles, in-store activities, web content, recipes, store display ideas, PowerPoint presentations, tweets, and more.
These materials will help RDs in their many roles, whether they are running store tours; speaking in the community or appearing on TV or radio; conducting cooking demonstrations; tweeting; or writing an article for their retailer’s newsletter. Each kit will remain on the ONE web portal for 12 months.
“As they steer their customers to healthier foods, supermarket dietitians have a major impact on the eating habits of America,” said Sara Baer-Sinnott, President, Oldways. “ONE provides a streamlined system so that food companies and supermarket RDs can exchange information regularly and easily which helps supermarkets maximize their potential as a powerful force for better food.”
The first toolkit, called “Easy Weeknight Family Meals,” was introduced in October; two new toolkits were added in November: “Gluten-free,” and “Healthy Holiday Entertaining.” All toolkits are reviewed by an Oldways RD to make sure health information is accurate, and the resources are available at no charge to all. As an RD at a major chain of 235 supermarkets said, “All of the pieces in your extensive toolkit are ready to use by supermarket RDs. As a supermarket dietitian it can be a little overwhelming to develop new tools, but you have done it for us!”
ONE is an on-demand offshoot of Oldways’ successful annual Supermarket RD Symposium, a unique networking event for store RDs and manufacturers selling healthier foods. At the first Symposium in 2011, supermarket RDs said they would appreciate solid, useful information about healthy products – but that they would value having Oldways screen materials from manufacturers and organize them in one place to save them time.
“As supermarket RDs, we are constantly looking for ways to help our customers make healthy food choices,” said Barbara Ruhs MS, RD, LDN, Bashas’ Family of Stores, who worked with Oldways to develop the annual Supermarket RD Symposium. “The ONE program provides access to creative resources which are science-based and consumer friendly – it’s like having an entire virtual team to brainstorm new ideas.”
Manufacturers can contribute appropriate resources to kits that match their marketing goals; their logos on the resources credit their role in providing useful information and in supporting ONE. These materials are augmented with resources created by the Oldways team.
Everyone interested in healthy delicious food is invited to take advantage of ONE resources, including free access to the ONE toolkits and a monthly ONE newsletter, by signing up here.
Please contact Rachel Greenstein (rachel(at)oldwayspt(dot)org or 617-896-4888) if you would like hi-res graphics, examples of ONE toolkit resources, or to schedule an interview. Manufacturers who would like information about participating in ONE can contact Cynthia Harriman (Cynthia(at)oldwayspt(dot) org or 603-436-1608).
About Oldways
Oldways (www.oldwayspt.org), a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization, with a mission to guide people to good health through heritage, using practical and positive programs grounded in science and tradition. Simply, we advocate for the healthful pleasures of real food. Oldways is the parent organization for The Whole Grains Council and The Mediterranean Foods Alliance, and is well-known for creating the Whole Grain Stamp and the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.