Today’s shopper is focused on health more than ever. Consumers are looking for easy ways to add more fresh produce to their plates, taking a closer look at nutritional information, ingredient lists and health claims, and turning to online resources for inspiration and information.

RD Susan Coe at a Hy Vee.During the month of March, we celebrate National Nutrition Month, an annual nutrition education and information campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. During this time, fresh produce shines as the world’s healthiest food. Produce brands and grocery retailers should capitalize of the conversation taking place to educate shoppers and inspire healthy habits through a combination of in-store and online tactics.

Create a Display

Consumers are busy and many are looking for brands to help them make decisions like what to make for dinner or how best to pair ingredients. The rise of Amazon Go, meal kits and grocery delivery services all lend a hand to helping consumers free up time and energy.

Create a display that catches shoppers’ eyes and invites them into an experience.

Educating them on filling half their plate with fresh fruits and veggies, bringing together ingredients in a healthy, easy meal, showcasing the health benefits of in-season fresh produce, or adding a section of healthy, grab-and-go snacks can help increase the basket size of fresh produce, introduce new items to shoppers and feed their need for health and convenience.

Utilize Retail Dietitians

Retail dietitians are a trusted resource in-store and more consumers are turning to them for product recommendations, tips to build a healthy diet and ways to combat chronic illnesses. Many retailers also understand the importance of these nationally recognized nutrition experts, utilizing them as a voice for their brand to consumers in store, online and through other channels such as podcasts and TV.

Recently, Giant Food announced the launch of its podcast where RDs will be answering frequent questions from shoppers and tackling nutrition myths. H-E-B employs a team of RDs to offer affordable nutrition care for shoppers, helping them to manage a disease or shop for health. With the rise of online shopping in this digital era, RDs can offer a personalized experience that brings shoppers into the store.

RDs can give their stamp of approval on products that contribute to a nutritious diet, highlighted throughout the store with “dietitian picks” signage, as well showcasing these items through in-store demos, displays, recipes and videos.

Get Social

Utilize your social media presence to showcase healthy recipes, produce preparation tips and nutritional benefits in celebration of National Nutrition Month. Create a pinboard on Pinterest full of healthy recipes, host a contest on Instagram asking shoppers to share their healthy meals, or go Live on Facebook to showcase My Plate-friendly ideas.

Nutrition is a major concern for parents, but many are too busy to find new and exciting ways to incorporate more fruits and veggies into their family’s diet. Brands can highlight convenience items, like cauliflower rice, packaged salads and chopped fruit, showing consumers how easy they are to add to meals and boost nutrition.

At Produce for Kids, we’re combining these tactics into our new Mission for Nutrition program, where we partnered with eight fresh produce and health-focused brands to provide free materials to RDs for use in-store. RDs can utilize these materials to educate shoppers by creating a display, hosting a recipe demo or at an event.

The program is supported by a national consumer promotion focused on helping families meal plan and prep their way to a healthier lifestyle. The promotion includes social media support, influencer outreach, targeted email marketing, a three-part meal planning series on the Healthy Family Project podcast, and a microsite full of meal planning tips, recipes and a free downloadable five-day meal plan ebook.

Whether you’re a fresh produce company or grocery retailer, your brand could and should be at the forefront of shoppers’ minds when they think of healthy eating. As the fresh produce industry, we have a responsibility to boost peoples’ health and wellness through the products we grow, manufacture and distribute. Together, we can all create a healthier generation.