Consumers make over 200 food decisions everyday and this number quickly escalates when food shopping. Supermarkets are where consumers make vital decisions about what to feed themselves and their families. When supermarkets employ dietitians, they also become a place to promote health and wellness. The health, wellness and food industries know that retail environments are the future of where consumers will access health care, which is why thousands of grocery store chains across America, including major retail chains Weis Markets, Albertson’s, ShopRite, Hy-Vee, Meijer and Kroger, employ registered dietitians.

The majority of the U.S. population is overweight or obese and rates of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, have reached new heights. Nutritional science dictates that “food as medicine” will be the future of healthcare, so intervening at the most basic level — where individuals buy their food — promotes healthful food choices, increases fruit and vegetable consumption, educates consumers, reduces rates of disease development, teaches consumers how to cook, and benefits the retail industry.

Telehealth platforms, like Healthie, can help individuals maintain their healthy eating choices through services like goal-setting and food journaling.

The role of supermarket dietitians in healthcare

Supermarket dietitians provide a variety of services, including individual consultations, supermarket tours, support groups, educational classes, in-store cooking demonstrations, samplings and classes for both kids and adults. Consumers are hungry for a solution to the question “What should I eat?” and supermarket dietitians are a credible source to help grocery stores promote healthy eating to support the health of the community. Dietitians have the ability to translate nutritional science, that is often misconstrued in the media, into practical information and help consumers take actionable health-promoting steps while shopping, such as choosing healthier products from supermarket shelves.

Grocery chains also find immense benefit in hiring dietitians because consumers are increasingly aware of the role that healthy eating plays in overall health. Interacting with consumers at such an intimate level — the grocery cart — means that these nutrition professionals understand the hurdles families across the country face when it comes to putting healthy food on the table. Supermarket dietitians are able to encourage healthier eating across generations to help thwart the obesity epidemic in America.

Pro Tip: Healthie’s EHR + Telehealth software provides a client portal, client retention strategies, and more.

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How telehealth technology supports supermarket dietitians

Supermarket dietitians are invaluable to the retail environment to improve the consumer experience and the bottom line by increasing basket size and customer loyalty while providing nutrition education through grocery store tours and in-store demos. Using an advanced technology platform, like Healthie, benefits supermarkets because dietitians can easily share store coupons, recipes, and meal plans with attached shopping lists, which increases engagement and retention for retail chains. As a result, retail chains see increased sales of fruits, vegetables and healthier packaged foods when working with a dietitian. Mainstream supermarkets also become more competitive with specialty chains, which are gaining popularity, when dietitians are hired. Just 10 hours weekly of a dietitians’ time will be financially returned to retail chains, making hiring a dietitian a worthwhile investment. In addition, insurance companies continue to increase reimbursement for nutrition care, which provides proven financial returns for grocery stores across the country.  

With the added use of a telehealth platform, like Healthie, supermarket dietitians can track outcomes and metrics from their consultations and community health programs. Clients become more accountable to their dietitian because there is added communication between appointments through Healthie’s secure messaging and real-time video conferencing app. When consumers achieve their health goals due to more interactions with their supermarket dietitian by using Healthie, the retail chains benefit immeasurably.