Giant and Martin's Offer Healthy Ideas for Kids

The following was sent in by Laura E. Jacobs, Senior Account Executive of e3communications:

Carlisle, PA – With the New Year brings a renewed commitment to making healthier choices. Food Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets is committed to providing customers with a variety of choices and programs to live a healthier lifestyle, including many with a focus on healthy kids.

“For many families, healthy eating choices begin at the supermarket and with childhood obesity on the rise, it’s an important issue to and MARTIN’S,” said Sarah Glunz, in-store nutritionist. “We offer kids a variety of exciting and interactive ways to learn about proper nutrition and health both in our stores and online through our websites.”

GIANT/MARTIN’S partners with Field Trip Factory for Kid Healthy Ideas™, a hands-on field trip experience that reinforces the nutrition and healthy living curriculum taught in local schools. Kid Healthy Ideas is free and helps children in grades pre-K through six develop and enhance skills in healthy living and nutrition, good oral care and exercise. Tour leaders are located in each participating store and are trained to modify field trips to be grade appropriate. For a listing of participating stores, visit www.fieldtripfactory.com and type in your zip code. You also can schedule a Kid Healthy Ideas tour by calling 1-800-987-6409. Tours run approximately 60-90 minutes in length and are limited to 30 participants per tour.

On the web, GIANT/MARTIN’S offers its Passport to Nutrition program to give kids and their parents and teachers the information and motivation to make healthier choices by improving one’s lifestyle and eating habits. The program consists of four lessons which cover the food pyramid/MyPlate program and physical activity, understanding food labels and portion control, how to eat enough fruits, vegetables and grains and healthy snacks and beverages. Accompanying each of the four lessons are downloadable worksheets, kid-friendly songs and interactive games to reinforce the healthy eating messages. To access Passport to Nutrition, visit giantfoodstores.com/kidhealthyideas or martinsfoods.com/kidhealthyideas.

Now through March 31, parents can also help earn triple A+ School Rewards for their child’s school by purchasing Healthy Ideas labeled products. GIANT/MARTIN’S exclusive Healthy Ideas blue and green product labeling system help customers find healthy options as they shop the aisles. In order to receive the Healthy Ideas distinction, a product must meet certain criteria related to total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar amounts developed by a team of registered dietitians.

In addition, as part of GIANT/MARTIN’S ongoing effort to educate parents, caregivers and others in the local community about the issue of childhood obesity and what can be done to alleviate the growing epidemic, the grocers will host its third Childhood Obesity Forum on Thursday, January 26 at 10:30 a.m. at the Chesterfield Square MARTIN’S at 11361 Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond, VA. Previous forums, featuring panelists from local hospitals and schools, have been held in Harrisburg and Willow Grove, PA.

For more healthy recipes for kids and a variety of other health information, visit
giantfoodstores.com or martinsfoods.com and click on the Healthy Ideas tab at the top of the homepage.

About GIANT/MARTIN’S
Headquartered in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, GIANT/MARTIN’S is a leading retail grocer in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia with more than 180 stores, operating under the names of GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets and employing over 31,000 associates. Founded in 1923, GIANT and MARTIN’S have a long-standing commitment to eradicate hunger and improve the quality of life for children in addition to working with hundreds of local organizations annually. GIANT/MARTIN’S was awarded the 2010 Golden Grocer Award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its leadership in the fight against hunger. In addition, GIANT/MARTIN’S is one of the top ten fund-raisers in the country for local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. GIANT and MARTIN’S are Ahold companies. For more information visit www.GiantFoodStores.com and www.MartinsFoods.com.