Another grocery store has taken measures toward promoting the medical side of meal planning.
The ShopRite of Canton, Conn., welcomes Hannah Waxler, a registered dietitian, to lead the store’s health and wellness outreach to customers.
“Her addition continues more than 12 years of serving the community through our wellness program, which includes in-store nutritional counseling, events and recipe demonstrations,” Joseph Family Markets President Chuck Joseph said in a news release. Joseph Family Markets operates the ShopRite of Canton.
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, N.J. The cooperative has hundreds of supermarkets throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland.
Waxler is somewhat of a local — statewise, at least.
Born and raised in the Farmington Valley and now residing in West Hartford, Waxler earned her bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences at the University of Connecticut. She also completed a dietetic internship and her master’s degree in health promotion sciences.
In this ShopRite role, Waxler provides health and wellness services for customers, such as free one-on-one nutrition counseling. She also offers recipes with healthy alternatives, provides guidance on proper nutrition for specific health conditions and dietary needs, and navigates the aisles with shoppers to help them better understand food labels. Also, Waxler will host online and in-store classes for children and adults to help with healthy eating.
Since 2006, ShopRite’s registered dietitians have provided meal inspiration suggestions and substitutes for different lifestyles to support customers on their personal wellness journeys. Dietitian coaching is available at select stores, and Well Everyday’s virtual presence includes cooking classes, private consultations, a chat feature and social media outreach.
Related news: ShopRite adds health and wellness digital shopping feature
ShopRite also recently launched dietary lifestyle filters for shoppers on shoprite.com that enable customers to shop items and recipes based on their needs.
Whether placing a grocery order online or browsing for inspiration in ShopRite’s online Recipe Shop, ShopRite customers can filter items to meet their needs and preferences. Filters include: dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, organic, kosher, diabetes-friendly, keto-friendly, low-sodium and low-sugar.