GREENVILLE, S.C. – With sports practices, errands and music lessons on top of a hard day’s work, it’s harder than ever for parents to practice good nutrition when preparing meals for their families. To help moms and dads across the Southeast adopt healthier food choices, BI-LO is introducing three additional nutritional tags that promote the USDA’s MyPlate initiative – a platform featuring a “new generation icon” that prompts consumers to build their plates with foods that emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and dairy.
MyPlate was established by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion – an organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – and introduced by First Lady Michelle Obama to advance and promote dietary guidance for all Americans. Replacing the traditional food pyramid, MyPlate is an easy-to-understand symbol that teaches consumers to fill half their plate with fruits and vegetables and half with whole grains and protein.
Introduced three months ago, BI-LO’s in-store nutrition tags assist shoppers by calling attention to the healthy aspects of a wide range of foods: sensible carbs, heart-healthy, organic, a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A, gluten-free, whole grain, a good source of fiber, low in saturated fat, a good source of calcium, or low in sodium. To further complement the MyPlate program, BI-LO has added three new labels that identify good-for-you meats and seafood: lean, extra lean and Omega 3.
“The nutrition tags help me navigate my way through the store as I shop for gluten-free products,” BI-LO customer Samantha Simpson of Tennessee said on the BI-LO Facebook page. “Because I have to shop for specific foods, I rely on the BI-LO nutrition tags to point me in the right direction. It makes my shopping so much easier!”
BI-LO’s support of MyPlate is consistent with the company’s thrive!TM program that helps teach shoppers how to make healthy, affordable choices both in the store aisle and at home – even when life gets busy. BI-LO thrive! makes health and wellness easy for everyone with online articles, recipes, dietary tips, videos and more. With BI-LO’s in-store nutrition tags designed to help customers find the types of foods that meet their individual needs and BI-LO’s exclusive thrive! newsletter available in print and online, the resources are endless for customers to adopt healthy eating practices.
“Summertime grilling is the perfect time to start incorporating the USDA’s MyPlate icon into daily nutrition,” said Monica Amburn, BI-LO’s registered dietitian. “For instance, you can choose a lower-fat meat for your next cookout by looking for meats that are marked with either a ‘lean’ or ‘extra lean’ tag, or simply look for the ‘Omega 3’ tag to find seafood rich in heart-healthy, brain-boosting Omega 3
fatty acids.”
“BI-LO consistently works to bring shoppers savings without sacrifice in all things that matter when shopping – including price, freshness, quality and healthy-food options,” said Kip Faulhaber, BI-LO’s vice president of sales and advertising. “The USDA’s MyPlate program helps remind consumers to think carefully about their food choices, and the three additional nutrition tags found throughout all BI-LO stores support our goals in offering customers practical ways to lead healthier lives.”
To view the latest edition of the BI-LO thrive! newsletter and learn more about nutrition tags, log on to http://www.bi-lo.com/thrive. To read more about USDA MyPlate visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov.
About BI-LO
Headquartered in Mauldin, S.C., BI-LO operates 207 supermarkets in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, employing approximately 15,100 people. Founded in 1961, the company provides shoppers substantial savings without sacrificing quality or freshness through its BI-LO BONUSCARD® and other exclusive programs. A committed corporate citizen, BI-LO has donated more than $53 million through its BI-LO Charities efforts to organizations across the company’s footprint since 1983. For more information, visit www.bi-lo.com.
Source: BI-LO
