When in the grocery store, nutrition-conscious shoppers tend to read labels and will often make purchasing decisions based on how much salt, calories or fat a particular product may have. That works pretty well when looking at pre-packaged products with their nutrition facts clearly labeled, but what about the tempting salads in the deli case?
Since April, customers at Sendik’s Food Markets may have noticed small green checkmark signs located throughout the deli case. Those checkmark signs mean the marked products had a nutritional analysis completed by registered dietitians at UW-Milwaukee’s Nutritional Sciences Program. The two organizations have joined forces in hopes of creating better-informed consumers and to highlight the importance of diet and nutrition.
“This local partnership is part of our continuing effort to accommodate our guests in making informed nutritional decisions,” says Ted Balistreri, family co-owner of Sendik’s. “It’s important to us that our guests have the proper information to make the best choices for their families.”
Sendik’s donated food labeling and nutrient analysis software to the Nutritional Sciences Program. This special software was used to determine the nutrition facts for more than 20 different deli salads and can be used for future student instruction.
“At UWM, part of our mission is promoting the health and wellness of the community,” says Chukuka S. Enwemeka, UWM distinguished professor and dean of the College of Health Sciences. “This collaboration also provides access to a real-world food retail environment for our Nutritional Sciences students.”
Shoppers can find the nutritional information in a couple of different ways. They can go to the Sendik’s website and look up the info on the nutrition page. If you’re already at the deli counter, pick up one of the two-sided flyers on display which explain the program and include a QR code that, once scanned, links the customer directly to the Nutrition facts page. This second option is especially good for customers who are at the counter and trying to decide between one salad or another, say German or French potato salad (German has less fat, but French has less sugar!).
This program is a great start for helping consumers make healthier choices at the grocery store.
To find the nutritional information at Sendik’s, visit their website.
