Tops Bows Healthy-eating Program
Tops Markets LLC will help its shoppers eat more healthfully in 2011 with a new program ,“Savings for Health,” which the Williamsville, N.Y.-based grocer developed in collaboration with Propel Health, an area dietary and diabetes education business owned by registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator Jeff Ensminger, according to a published report.
For about $20 a year, the program offers members food and menu information and planning that’s updated on a weekly basis to reflect availability and sales prices.
The aim of “Savings for Health,” Ensminger, who operates offices in North Tonowonda and West Seneca, N.Y., told the Buffalo News, is to show people that nutritious eating can be accomplished inexpensively, as well as to arm shoppers with the right menus, recipes and nutritional information.
“This is definitely for everyone,” he said. “It’s geared toward preventing chronic diseases, but treating them as well.”
Program members can visit the Savings for Health website, at www.savingsforhealth.com, which shows what can be purchased at Tops stores across western New York during a given week. The site provides detailed shopping lists, in addition to nutritional information, for weekly use. Additionally, menus using available foods and sale items are highlighted on a weekly basis.
As more people join the program, the weekly information will likely be e-mailed directly to them, Ensminger told the newspaper.
According Tops spokeswoman Kate McKenna, the new initiative has rolled out to Buffalo-area grocery stores first, with plans to expand to future areas if Savings for Health proves to be a hit with customers..
“Customers can look forward to more health-and-wellness programs from Tops in the New Year,” said McKenna. “We care about our communities, and we care about the people we serve. Education is going to be a key focus for us in the New Year. We want to help our customers make good nutritional choices.”
Using the Savings for Health website, Ensminger will conduct one-on-one counseling and offer advice to program members.