inStorebuyer - May 2011 - 89

Mall. Sunflower Farmers Market also announced it will open its second store in the California market this October in Modesto.

Helping Shoppers Manage Lives
As part of its ongoing quest to help shoppers manage their lives better, Wegmans has introduced new resources to help customers concerned about blood pressure manage their numbers. Shoppers can stop by the pharmacy to pick up one of the Eat Well, Live Well for Lower Blood Pressure brochures, or visit the blood pressure page on wegmans.com to read about or watch seven short videos on ways toward good readings. What surprises many is the big role that fruits, vegetables and regular exercise can play in blood pressure management. “A healthy lifestyle is the first critical step in preventing or treating elevated blood pressure, says Wegmans Nutritionist Jennifer Felice, R.D. “For those in the earliest stage, called pre-hypertension, it could be all that’s needed. For those with higher blood pressure already, a healthy lifestyle can mean better control with fewer medications.” Here’s a closer look at some of what’s available. The brochure and corresponding videos on wegmans. com cover blood pressure basics, guidance on salt, sodium and potassium, and show how much you can lower your numbers with lifestyle changes. By eating 5 cups of fruits and vegetables and 3 servings of low-fat

dairy products each day, you could cut your numbers by 8 to 14 points. Limiting your sodium intake to less than 2300 mg a day could reduce your numbers by 2 to 8 points. Regular exercise can also make a big difference. A week’s worth of easy, healthy and affordable menu ideas is also available to shoppers online. Examples include Super Pasta with Sweet Pepper, Arugula and Spinach, Pan-Seared Chicken with Peach Chive Pan Gravy, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Cooked Rappi. “Elevated blood pressure is something people need to manage, because if it’s uncontrolled, it raises the risk of a lifeending event, such as a heart attack or stroke,” says Felice. “But the good news is that you can do plenty about it, and the changes can be very appealing – after all, it’s not tough to eat more fruits and vegetables if they’re prepared in a really delicious way.” To promote the health benefits of fresh produce, Wegmans Food Markets is also offering more products this year than ever before that help customers find easy ways to grow their own vegetables. The Winter 2011 issue of Wegmans Menu magazine features gardening with a “Get Growing” section, highlighting a simple approach to gardening using containers. This method of gardening is inspired by Mel Bartholomew’s popular Square Foot Gardening method of intensive planting that boosts yields from smaller spaces with less weeding and watering than traditional row gardens.

Everything for a home garden is available in select Wegmans stores at the right time – organic items including seeds, starter pots, potting soil and fertilizer with gardening books in January, followed by garden tools, compost, containers and frames for raised beds in time for local planting outdoors. “It might seem surprising that a grocery store that sells vegetables would encourage customers to grow their own, but it was a natural fit for us,” said Wendy Altamura, category merchant for general merchandise. “We’re about making it easier to put healthy meals on the table and about supporting healthy lifestyles for families, and gardening speaks to both values. We’re also pretty excited by what our growers at the Wegmans Organic Farm are learning, and want to pass along successful techniques to our customers.” Interest in organic and locally grown foods continues to grow, in parallel with major trends in consumer awareness of food safety and environmental issues. Also, the major legislative overhaul of food safety passed by Congress in December reflects both consumers’ and the grocery industry’s desire for more information about how foods are grown and processed. “People do want more information about the foods they’re eating and gardening speaks to that,” Altamura says. “Gardening also teaches children about where foods come from, and it’s something the whole family can do together.” 

| inStorebuyer | May 2011 | 89 |

inStorebuyer - May 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of inStorebuyer - May 2011