Growth Spurt

Supermarket-driven programs urge kids to eat more fruits and veggies, planting the seed for future profits.

At last, a bit of good news on the childhood obesity front: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that after decades of rising obesity rates among low-income children, these numbers have declined in the United States.

The study, which looked at 11.6 million low-income children in 40 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories, found that obesity had declined among children age 2 to 4 in 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

While these declines are not yet cause for celebration, as obesity now affects 17 percent of all children and teens across the nation, they seem to indicate that programs such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign and the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) may be having a positive impact.

On the front lines of nutrition, a growing number of supermarkets are also doing their part to build a healthier future for the youngest consumers and their produce departments’ bottom lines with creative programs designed to get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Good to Grow

At a Hy-Vee store in Madison, Wis., kids are learning the principles of seed to fork and having fun all the while. The grocer’s “Get Out and Grow” program invites kids to learn about produce by helping to farm three raised beds of produce growing behind the store.

“The kids have eaten more fruits and vegetables than they ever would have before,” Deana Preble, the Madison East Hy-Vee’s dietitian, says of the children taking part in the program. Participants help harvest the produce they’ve grown. They then have the opportunity to sample it before Preble shows them how to cook something healthful with it. “It really has made a difference,” she asserts.

Hy-Vee promotes the program through e-blasts, Facebook and in-store signage. The store charges $5 per child, per visit for the one-hour program that meets twice a month.

Another program at the Madison East Hy-Vee shows kids how much fun it can be to cook with fruits and vegetables. The Hy-Vee Kids Club Kitchen features various themes throughout the year, from back-to-school to breakfast to cooking with fall apples.

“It gives kids exposure to things they might not try at home, and it gets them into the kitchen, where they can really be hands-on,” says Preble. The average age of participants is between 7 and 10 years old.

“As a dietitian, the childhood obesity epidemic is a top concern for me,” Preble notes. “I honestly feel if kids at this young age take a stake in what they’re eating and how it’s prepared, it can only bode well for a healthier future.”

Kids Club Kitchen participants receive recipes to take home and share with their families. When shopping for ingredients, parents and children alike are cued to healthful options via Hy-Vee’s “Good for You Foods” signage.

“We use quite a bit of signage in the produce department,” notes Preble. The Good for You Foods signage features either a photo of Preble or the fruit or vegetable it touts. “We try to give customers two or three factoids on each sign and tell them what to do with [the item], like this apple is good for snacking or this one is good for baking.”

Hy-Vee also welcomes elementary school tours, which give Preble and the produce department another point of contact with children in the community. “I tell kids how good fruits and vegetables are for the inside of your body,” she explains. “Rather than talk about the benefits of antioxidants, I tell them it makes your insides happy and pretty.”

Mobile Munching

Seattle-based PCC Natural Markets employs a plethora of colorful methods to encourage kids to eat more produce. In 2004, PCC introduced “Healthy Kids,” a multiyear initiative to improve local children’s health through nutrition, as well as the “PCC Kid Picks” program.

An innovative product-sampling program, PCC Kid Picks encompasses some 1,700 child-tasted and -approved products in PCC stores. In the summer of 2006, PCC began taking the concept on the road with its “Kid Picks Mobile.”

The multipronged approach has yielded promising results. “We don’t have hard data to support this, but we do believe the kids of our shoppers are eating more produce,” says Sara Walsh, PCC’s community relations manager.

“All kids are offered a free serving of fruit or vegetables when they visit our stores,” continues Walsh. “This is empowering for kids, who get to have the produce item of their choice while at their PCC, and it gives them the opportunity to try something they may never have eaten before.”

PCC Kid Picks Mobile provides free samples of all-natural snacks, beverages, lunchbox ideas and more. Kids try them and vote for their favorites. The grocer prides itself on sampling everything from fruits and vegetables to even more challenging items like anchovies.

“We also believe kids who have participated in Kid Picks taste tests are eating more produce,” adds Walsh. “We have brought the program to schools, community centers and public events all over our market area, introducing fresh produce and other organic and natural foods to thousands of kids.”

Camp Fired Up

An increasing number of supermarkets are using summer camps and year-round culinary classes geared to children as a way of introducing future generations of shoppers to healthy, produce-rich fare.

At Stew Leonard’s, based in Norwalk, Conn., the 2013 summer roster at its Newington, Conn., store featured a variety of new cooking classes for children, along with a weeklong culinary camp.

Classes for kids age 5 to 12 included themes such as “Veggie-riffic,” for which children learned how to make baked green bean fries with dipping sauce and cauliflower cheese sticks, among other healthful snacks using farm-fresh vegetables. The Healthy Back to School Treats class taught kids how to make no-bake granola bars and homemade fruit rollups, and Summer Salads showed kids the ins and outs of Cobb, Capri, Stew’s Choice and Wedge.

Parsippany, N.J.-based Kings Food Markets appealed to local teenagers with a TV Food Network Chefs five-day camp held at its Short Hills, N.J., location in August. “Which one of you will be the next Iron Chef?” Kings’ camp description beckoned. The program offered to teach attendees how to prepare such dishes as Bobby Flay’s Charred Corn Guacamole with Chips, Mario Batali’s Porchetta with Roasted Potatoes and Salad the Italian Way, and Giada de Laurentiis’ Grilled Vegetable and Herb Sandwiches.

For children age 3 to 5, Kings will offer Good Cooks: ABC Snack Time this fall. The class aims to show kids how to have fun in the kitchen while they learn basic culinary skills and safety. The menu will include Fruity Bear Dip and Apple Nachos.

Last month, Harmons, a 16-store grocery chain in and around Salt Lake City, offered a full slate of kids’ culinary classes and camps packed with produce. Its Healthy Home Lunches for School offered to teach kids how to make and pack their own healthy lunches. Another class focused on Easy Ideas for Wraps and Salad, Veggie and Fruit Snacks.

Harmons’ Kids’ Fit & Healthy Cooking Camp for children age 11 to 15 taught delicious soup-and-salad combos that took advantage of the availability of fresh summer produce. The chef-led course demonstrated how easy it is “to prepare good food for kids who might be easily distracted by less healthy alternatives.” The menu included Edamame Hummus and Italian Zucchini Boats.

Picky Eater Solutions

While enticing kids to eat more produce can be a challenge for many parents, piquing the interest of a picky eater with kale and kiwi can feel like a losing battle. The new website from Produce for Kids (PFK) is designed to help families win over even the choosiest children.

“Getting children to eat more produce will always be a goal of parents and produce companies alike, as most kids experience a ‘picky eater’ phase,” says Amanda Keefer, manager of PR and social media for Orlando, Fla.-based PFK. “Most experts say a food may need to be introduced to a child seven to 15 times before he or she will eat it.”

Twenty-six tempting (and registered dietitian-approved) recipes are part of PFK’s newly redesigned website, which also features a “Parents on Produce” blog; articles from parent experts; a meal-planning tool; a host of kid-friendly, produce-rich recipes; and a community area where parents can share best practices.

This fall, PFK will continue to promote the site, encouraging parents on its social channels to test the new features and recipes and offer feedback. The organization is also hosting its largest Twitter party ever on Oct. 22. The event, focused on meal planning, will introduce followers to the website.

“As a dietitian, the childhood obesity epidemic is a top concern for me. I honestly feel if kids at this young age take a stake in what they’re eating and how it’s prepared, it can only bode well for a healthier future.”
—Deana Preble, Hy-Vee