Albany, N.Y. – The Hannaford Healthy Shopper Patch program, which teaches children about the significance of a well-balanced diet and lifestyle, marked a milestone this week by awarding its 1000th badge during a nutrition class for Capital Region girl scouts.
Members of Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York Troop 1429, which is based in Albany and comprised of scouts ranging from 7 to 9-years-old, received the special Hannaford Healthy Shopper Patch after taking part in an interactive and fun behind-the-scenes tour led by a Hannaford registered dietitian at the Hannaford store on Central Avenue in Albany.
In addition to learning about the importance of a healthy diet, the program teaches children about where food comes from and why Hannaford works with local farms; how to achieve a well-balanced meal by eating a variety of foods; and tips on making healthy choices while grocery shopping, including using the Hannaford Guiding Stars navigation system.
“At Hannaford, we believe in making it as convenient as possible for families to access fresh and affordable food. The Hannaford Healthy Shopper Patch program provides children with the skills necessary to adopt healthy lifestyles in a fun and engaging setting,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Healthy Living Manager Sue Till. “We are very excited to hit this milestone achievement for the program and look forward to educating thousands of more children in the years to come.”
During the program, Hannaford Supermarkets Registered Dietitian Fran Weiss led the girl scouts in a variety of engaging activities, including how to make a nutritious snack using fresh and accessible ingredients.
“Teaching children how to make healthy food choices sets the stage for a lifetime of health. This program helps educate kids about what food choices exist, how to seek information about available food options and how to make wise decisions about food. I hope the girl scouts had fun during the interactive program, which is designed to help them become champions and role models for healthy eating and behaviors in their communities,” said Weiss.
“Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York is so grateful to Hannaford for providing programs that help girls learn and develop good food choices,” said Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York Troop 1429 Leader Jennifer Blanch. “This type of program aligns with our commitment to helping girls learn about the importance of healthy eating and teaches our scouts how to be healthy both today and tomorrow.”
The Hannaford Healthy Shopper Patch program was first introduced in stores with dietitians in fall 2018 and is organized in partnership with Cabot Creamery Co-operative.
“We are so excited to celebrate the 1000th Healthy Shopper Patch milestone with our partners at Hannaford. We collaborated with Hannaford on this program to teach youth about the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle and how their local Hannaford dietitians can help them. We know that the more young people who complete this program, the healthier our local communities will be. We love supporting the work that the Hannaford team does, since many of those local communities are where our farm families live and make our Cabot cheese and dairy products,” said Cabot Creamery Co-operative Director of Community and Wellness and Registered Dietitian Sara Wing.
To set up a Hannaford Healthy Shopper Patch tour or for more information about the registered dietician program and other free classes and seminars available at Hannaford Supermarkets, visit Hannaford.com/health-wellness/dietitians.
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About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine, operates 182 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Hannaford employs more than 26,000 associates. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.