Dietitians in the Grocery Store

How pleasing to see an article in the Times over the weekend that focused on having dietitians actually working for franchise grocery stores with the intention of helping shoppers learn to make better food choices.

Some even offer programs where the participants pay a fee and get a shopping list with prep tips; these can be fine tuned according to one’s individual health concerns.

A few of the mentions of ‘good food choice’ in the piece made me cringe a little, like suggesting a customer buys ‘tofutti’ over ice cream or ‘eating more canola oil’, yet given the state of the current unhealthiness of our country, it’s definitely a step in the right direction, if for no other reason that it’s getting people to think a little more about what they’re putting in their bodies and the consequences.

No, most traditionally trained dietitians are not likely to be recommending Paleo, and we still have to rely upon ourselves to educate and learn as an ongoing process, test things and find out what works for you, but having someone to consult with to learn the very basics and get some veggie prep ideas can’t hurt!