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Food allergy shoppers may be experiencing additional stress during this time. As a retail dietitian, there are many ways you can stay connected with shoppers to provide support, alleviate concerns and stress.

Every major decision I have made in my life got hammered out around the family dinner table.  The cast of characters evolved as I moved from my family of origin to a family of friends, then to my own family, and certainly the issues I was deliberating at these different stages changed, but the constant has been the family dinner table.  It has provided me the safe context in which I could probe all the implications of my choices from every angle; emotional, financial, psychological and in some cases geographical.   I am convinced that the family meal is the place where love and support find their most fertile ground to take root and grow.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected consumers’ mindset when it comes to foods and beverages and according to recent IRI research, some changes could have a long- lasting impact. Their survey, focused on fresh foods, reported that 59% of shoppers are now preparing 91-100% of all meals at home and 18% said they plan to buy more fresh foods. Also, 61% of shoppers believe the crisis will last 2-4 more months and many people plan on continuing home meal preparation after the crisis has ended.1 Here are some additional survey findings and the opportunities they represent for retail dietitians:

In April of 2019, we ran an article on self-care. This article saw some of the highest open rates and generated the most members comments of any article. As I’ve talked to many retail RDNs over the past two months, it’s clear that this topic is one worth revisiting.

The coronavirus pandemic has put health and wellness top of mind for many consumers and this is playing out not only in what foods are being purchased but also with soaring supplement sales. In particular, the sales for ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc and elderberry are skyrocketing.

As a retail dietitian, have you documented your health and well-being strategy? Regardless of level of role within the company – corporate, regional or store -- every retail RDN should have a defined health and wellness strategy.

​​​​​​​My role at Hannaford is to be a friendly and knowledgeable resource our customers as they make food choices to support their health and wellness goals. This might take the form teaching them to read the nutrition facts label, helping them figure out ways to get more legumes into their eating routine, or discussing the pros and cons of milk alternatives. All of my services are offered free of charge.

We’ve all learned that science is crucially important in a global pandemic based on a novel virus (Disinfectant kills the virus on surfaces but should not be injected it into the human body.). At the same time, the situation has brought to life the importance of ethics (Harvard, with the largest endowment in the world, should you have applied for federal relief funding?).

Grocery shopping during the COVID-19 crisis has been a challenge for many customers, but these uncertain times can be really tough for families living with food allergies. Shoppers, who must deal with a restricted diet, may be in need of some extra help and guidance right now. Here are some ways your store(s) can provide support:

With focus on timely topics we know are of interest to your shoppers, the Retail Dietitians Business Alliances announces the launch of two new educational resources: a podcast on food prescription programs and an EduTrac® from No Taste for Waste.