Recently I was at Stop & Shop and noticed a Healthy Ideas tag on lots of products. I was intrigued but didn't know what it was all about until a few days later, when I happened to get an email from Mom Central about this very initiative.
Stop & Shop has placed the Healthy Ideas tag on more than 3,000 items throughout its stores. The tag highlights foods that have less fat and sodium than other comparable products, and that also include a healthful amount of at least one nutrient, such as fiber, whole grains, calcium, or Vitamin C. The information was developed by a team of nutritionists based on USDA and FDA guidelines.
The Healthy Ideas web site is loaded with helpful resources, like "Simple Swaps," which are healthy makeovers of favorite not-so-healthy recipes, information on allergens and food safety, and advice for healthier living.
So check out the site, and next time you're at Stop & Shop, see how many items in your cart carry the Healthy Ideas tag!
Ok. Here's the thing. Stop & Shop just drains all the joy from my day. The one in Arlington is a swirling vortex of misery. The employees make me want to kill myself. You know how happy and perky Whole Foods and Trader Joes employees are? Well Stop & Shop employees are all depressed. It's like having Eeyore for a cashier. I even prefer Market Basket.
Posted by: Sara | January 26, 2009 at 09:12 PM
I think it depends on the location. I like the big one on Watertown Street in Newton, right on the Watertown line.
Posted by: Karen | January 26, 2009 at 09:18 PM
Hey! I like fat and sodium!
Re: Stop & Shop vs. Trader Joes, I think location is a big part of what your local market is like.
I had my first visit to Trader Joe's the other day. My wife dragged me out because she couldn't stand the throng of people. I don't know if the folks working there were nice, but the crowd in there were a bunch of seemingly aimless wandering people with wide-eyed looks of wonder on their faces. It was like the Stepford & Shop.
Maybe it was just a bad day.
Stop & Shop has its own problems, but the Trader Joe's folks in Warwick, RI freaked us out. That was also where the woman driving the car in front of us stopped halfway through an intersection. We were baffled until we realized that she was having a phone conversation.
In any case, they've always been good to us at Stop & Shop. I don't interact with a cashier because I use the self-checkout. I prefer the small, independent market closer to us, but the selection at our S&S sends us back there at least once a week.
Cheers!
Posted by: James | January 27, 2009 at 04:49 PM