Articles

Many businesses and brands have discovered that personalization and individualized content create an improved, more satisfying user experience for today’s consumers. Some brands, such as Nutrisystem are using nutrigenomics (the scientific study of the interaction of nutrition and genes) as a way to help consumers find personalized solutions for weight management. Courtney McCormick, MPH RD, Manager of Clinical Research and Nutrition for Tivity Health, which recently acquired Nutrisystem, answers questions regarding how this testing may apply to the retail setting:

In today’s society, lunch is less intuitive and far more optional. Perceptions of the midday meal are evolving as the notion of “work-life balance” becomes increasingly difficult to navigate for the average individual.  

It’s that time again—the development of the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans!

Feeding infants and toddlers can certainly be a challenge for parents but retail dietitians are in a perfect position to provide meal tips and recommendations to encourage optimal nutrition for their little ones. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will include birth to 24-month nutrition recommendations. Be prepared to show your shoppers how to put this guidance into practice with the expert advice and products your store(s) have to offer:

I have been the Corporate Dietitian at Redner’s Markets for ten years. During that time, my job has evolved greatly to now include purchasing, operations and marketing. With that being said, I still spend a portion of my time educating customers and doing media presentations.

I remember sharing a cab ride to an event with two retail RD program leaders. During the ride, they were discussing strategies to manage the 500+ emails they get each day. This story reflects the stress that many retail RDs manage in their roles. Random work hours, demands of multiple store categories, support of marketing, communications, and operations and a host of other departments can all contribute to a stressful work life. 

Mealtimes were once the building blocks of the daily schedule but work, school and social accountabilities have caused meal patterns to shift. Today’s modern eating plan is more flexible and personalized and approximately 50% of eating occasions are considered as snacks. As the lines between meals and snacks blur, there are several opportunities for retailers to meet the consumer’s need for food on-the-go while providing guidance toward nutritious, wholesome options.

Beth Stark, RDN, LDN, Manager of Lifestyle Initiatives at Weis Markets, will do a deep-dive into consumer behavior at lunchtime, explore strategies to help shoppers improve eating habits, and offer tips and resources for retail dietitians to help consumers recommit to lunch through activations at retail. 

The Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA) is excited to announce a partnership with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation for our 2019 Samplefest®, which will focus on National Family Meals Month™.