ORLANDO, FL - Created by Shuman Farms in 2002, the Healthy Family Project continues to promote nutrition education across the industry. The organization is kicking off the third annual Mission for Nutrition promotion, a month-long digital and shopper-focused program, in celebration of National Nutrition Month®. Highlighting the importance of meal planning to make healthy choices while also giving back to Feeding America® food banks, the program arms retail dietitians with the tools to educate their shoppers.
“As a former retail dietitian and someone deeply connected with this community, I understand the resources and support retail dietitians’ need to succeed in their role. A lot has shifted in how retail dietitians interact with shoppers during the pandemic,” said Julie Harrington, former ShopRite Dietitian and Healthy Family Project’s Authority on Retail Dietitians. “This year’s Mission for Nutrition is geared to help put retail dietitians in the spotlight and reenergize their presence with their shoppers.”
Results from a late 2020 retail dietitian survey conducted by Healthy Family Project indicated that 56 percent of surveyed retail dietitians are able to host a Facebook Live event, 67 percent have an e-newsletter where they can share information with shoppers, 90 percent are able to distribute materials to shoppers, and over 85 percent have space in-store to showcase information.
In mid-February, the organization shipped out a physical Mission for Nutrition box filled with health-focused materials from Healthy Family Project as well as program partners including, Bee Sweet Citrus®, Crispy Green® Crispy Fruit, Eat Smart®, Nature Fresh Farms, Pero Family Farms®, Sage Fruit®, and RealSweet® Sweet Onions. The shipment included items such as a mini-magazine published by Healthy Family Project full of recipe inspiration featuring partner brands and a shopping list to help with the recreation of the recipes.
An online toolkit guiding retail dietitians on how to host a successful virtual cooking class was also created by Harrington. She based the components on her own successful virtual cooking class series along with feedback from her retail dietitian network, according to a press release. Retail dietitians are encouraged to get creative with the items sent to them through hosting an online cooking class, creating a display, or hosting a dry demo and sharing on social with the hashtag #MissionforNutrition.
Like in year’s past, retail dietitians using the hashtag or submitting their events to Healthy Family Project are entered to win a $1,000 continued education scholarship. Past winners have utilized the scholarship to attend retail dietitian-focused trade shows, workshops, and conferences.
“Over and over, we are hearing that families are feeling burned out from cooking at home,” said Trish James, Vice President of the Healthy Family Project. “Mission for Nutrition can help by introducing new ways of meal planning to alleviate stress, offer new inspiration, and give families tools, like shopping lists and recipes, that make mealtime easier.”
Consumers can download a free digital copy of the mini-magazine, access more than 500 registered dietitian-approved recipes, including many plant-based and flexitarian options, and enter to win an air fryer. Additional weekly giveaways of eco-friendly meal planning tools are set to take place on the Healthy Family Project Instagram account. Healthy Family Project will also get in on the virtual event action by hosting a Facebook live cooking class with Amanda Keefer and her daughter, Charli, on March 3 at 3:30 p.m. ET. Program partners, retail dietitians, and influencers will also interact with consumers during the annual #MissionForNutrition Twitter party on March 11 at 4 p.m. ET.
Additional marketing efforts around Mission for Nutrition include targeted e-newsletters, influencer outreach, and promotion on The Healthy Family Project podcast. Since it began in 2019, the program has donated 300,000 meals to families in need through Feeding America.
The team at ANUK extends our appreciation to the Healthy Family Project and all industry leaders who are working to make our world a healthier place.
