Find Grocery Store Tours near you

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FAQs:

What is a Grocery Store Tour?

A grocery store tour is a hands-on education session in which a dietitian takes their client out of the clinic and into the real world. They will meet at a grocery store and walk them through what a healthy shopping trip looks like, aisle-by-aisle. This is a great chance to share brand favorites, introduce clients to new foods, and teach them shopping tips to simplify their lives. The sessions can be one-on-one or in a group format.

Why Should We Go on a Grocery Store Tour?

A grocery store tour is a good way to help participants discover that eating healthy is possible on a limited budget. It allows participants to ask questions that help them determine the best buys for their family and provides a real-life guided practice in which they can apply new food resource management skills in a learning environment. Mastering these skills can help them keep their families' food secure.

What is Involved in a Grocery Store Tour?

It includes comparison shopping and unit pricing for every department in the grocery store. Practice label reading skills. Challenge participants to compete for who can plan a menu featuring all the foods represented on MyPlate at the lowest cost. Help participants weigh foods to visualize how much it is. Compare the costs between whole produce, pre-sliced, frozen, and canned. Look to see if the grocery is connected to local foods. Learn how to call on the skills of the meat cutter to save money on meats. Before finalizing your plans, ask your group what they want to learn. What part of the grocery store is the most confusing.

How Long Do Grocery Store Tours Take?

Tours usually take 60 to 90 minutes, depending on what needs to be covered. Some clients have even wanted to do two tours, one at their larger chain store and one at the local co-op, where we delve into all the bulk foods available.

What to Do Before Going on a Grocery Store Tour?

Grocery store tours are available after an initial nutrition counseling visit. During this session, you and your dietitian will review your medical history and current lifestyle so that they will understand your health needs and goals. This helps them to customize your tour and use your time most effectively. They will also discuss food preferences and allergies or sensitivities. In that way, the tour will focus on foods that are aligned with your likes and health needs when you get to the supermarket. Dietitians can also prepare and introduce new foods that you may enjoy and haven’t tried yet.

How Should I Prepare for My Grocery Store Tour?

After your initial visit, take some time to think about any questions you have about grocery shopping, food selection, and your health goals. Here are some questions to think about before the shopping trip:

1. Are there foods you have seen in the store but are unfamiliar with? Make a list!

2. Do you want to understand how to read nutrition labels? 

3. What’s the difference between a “serving size” and a “portion size”?

4. Are there foods you would eat but don’t know how to prepare in a way you’ll enjoy? 

5. Wondering if frozen and canned foods fit your health goals? 

6. Confused about which proteins or fats you should select? Let’s talk about them!

7. Wondering which veggies taste good? How can you cook them so that they’re not army green?

How Much is a Grocery Store Tour with a Dietitian?

The cost is $200 outside of packages and or other services. The cost is discounted in packages and is $25 off with other services paid for within a calendar year. You may bring 2 additional family members or friends at no extra cost. The dietitian will provide verbal and written grocery shopping and meal planning tips.

Who Will Benefit from a Private Grocery Tour with a Dietitian

Most private supermarket tours are ideal for those who are:

1. Undergoing an elimination diet. Want to be 100% sure something didn’t sneak in there that shouldn’t have? An elimination diet can be an intense process, and we want to help reduce the overwhelm. Take us shopping with you. You’ll be glad you did.

2. Newly diagnosed with a disease or condition requiring a specialized diet. If you’ve just been diagnosed with coeliac disease, allergies, intolerances, diabetes, or a heart condition, you might be in panic mode right now. “I know what I can’t eat, but what does that look like in my trolley?” These tours are about education. Dietitians will help you find the right brands, learn to read the labels, and how to create a great shopping experience you look forward to from here on in. They help you relax and feel in control of your new regime.

3. Following a new diet. Want some help shopping for FODMAPS foods? Have we asked you to follow an anti-inflammatory diet? Or perhaps you’re looking to implement the Mediterranean Diet for heart health, to reduce diabetes risk, or simply to lose weight? We have lots of experience in shopping for these diets and putting together a week’s worth of groceries you’ll look forward to unpacking.

4. Looking to lose or gain weight sensibly and healthily. As part of the process of losing or gaining weight, dietitians will suggest this service to help revamp your shopping habits. This is not about putting you on notice or making you feel bad. It’s really about taking your hand and helping you with this difficult part of the process. To give you a head start in the right direction, with a friendly Dietitian who cares, understands your needs, and is eager to help you reach your goals.

What to Expect in a Grocery Store Tour with a Dietitian

Is it your first time to do a grocery store tour? If yes, then here is what to expect from it.

1. Expect a Mini Nutrition Education Class

Spend the first 15-20 minutes in a mini-class where you will learn the big-picture guidelines about the nutrition or health topic, how to read food labels, and what to look for on food packaging. You also get recommendations from 1-3 different agencies that make dietary recommendations so you can decide which guidelines fit your goals and food preferences the best.

2. Expect to Walk the Store

After the mini nutrition education class, you can go to the foods and brands you typically choose to take a good look at the packaging and compare it to other options. While brands may be recommended by your nutritionist based on your food preferences, budget, and health goals, you will not get any blanket brand recommendations during these tours. You will check out the package claims, nutrition facts, and ingredients to ensure the foods you choose fit into your food guidelines, you may learn about some hard-to-pronounce ingredients including what they are made of and how safe – or not – they are, and you may pick up some new tricks and tips to get the most out of your food choices. You also learn a little about how grocery store layout and food packaging can affect your buying choices without you even realizing it.

3. Expect Each Tour to be Different

Each tour has a focus but your questions determine where we go in the store and which foods we investigate. Aisle by aisle, the dietitian will help you make better food choices by pointing out marketing strategies and misleading packaging, showing you resources in the store that you probably haven’t ever noticed, introducing new foods and ingredients, and answering your food and nutrition questions.

4. Expect to Get Goodies

You always receive recipes related to the tour topic. You may also get samples of food coupons or other goodies like fabric grocery bags or shopping lists.

5. Expect to Become Empowered by Food

By the end of the tour, the confusion and anxiety around which foods to put in your grocery cart will be whisked away by the experience and insight you gained from having a dietitian at your side in the store. You will walk away empowered knowing you can choose healthier-for-you foods on your very next shopping trip. After this fun and interactive experience, you will be so much closer to knowing exactly how to use food and nutrition to reach your health goals. You will also be well prepared to handle life’s curveballs because you know how to critically evaluate food packaging – instead of just getting brand recommendations. You will now have the skills to change your food choices as your health, needs, and schedule changes.

10 Tips for Grocery Shopping Like a Dietitian

If you want to start eating healthier, here are 10 tips on how to shop healthier so you can eat better at home.

1. Don't Skip the Middle Aisles

Many nutrient-dense options are hiding in the middle aisles, including whole grains, shelf-stable proteins, nuts, seeds, and beans.

2. Visualize Your Plate (And Your Cart)

MyPlate is a tool used to visualize the food groups on your plate. One of its main messages is to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies. To achieve this, try to reflect this message in your cart and fill your cart like you should fill your plate.

3. Canned Fruits and Vegetables Can Be Healthy, Too

Look for canned fruit packed in its own juices and no-salt-added canned vegetables. Remember — canned fruits and vegetables can be just as healthy as when they're fresh! Once produce is harvested, its vitamin and mineral content decreases daily. However, canned foods are often harvested and processed on the same day, locking in the vitamins and nutrients for many months.

4. Select Lean Meats

When choosing cuts of meat, shop for beef, poultry, and pork to create different meals and add a variety of nutrients to your diet. Look for “loin” or “round” beef and pork and choose 93% lean ground meats. Lean meats reduce calories and saturated fat content to help monitor cholesterol. Plus, remember to balance an animal protein with a plant protein, such as pairing lean ground beef with black beans for taco night. That will help add fiber to a meal and expand the volume of a serving.

5. Look For Tasty (and Healthy) Veggie Dips

Pair veggies with a tasty dip like hummus, Bolthouse Farms dressings, flavored cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt dip. Given their nutritional benefits, veggies are still a better snack option, even if that means putting something flavorful on them. Bolthouse Farms dressings are a dietitian favorite because they are one-third of the calories of a regular creamy dressing, making them a heart-healthy option.

6. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Your hydration goal should be at least half your body weight in ounces. Hydration is essential as you increase your fiber intake because it will aid the digestion of high-fiber foods. If you don’t like drinking plain water, there are many healthy options to choose from in the middle aisles.

7. The Frozen Section Is Your Friend

Frozen foods can be great on nights when you need to whip up a quick dinner or for keeping vegetables on hand that won’t spoil. There are many options in the frozen department to help you make meals easy and more nutritious. We call these meal enhancers — chopped onions and vegetables, frozen fruit or veggie mixes. Meal enhancers take the work out of chopping vegetables, making them easier to add to meals or have as side dishes.

8. Choose the Right Milk for You

A spotlight item in the dairy department is milk, and there are many kinds to choose from: cow milk, almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk. The main difference between each kind of milk is the calorie and protein content. Cow milk has the highest protein content, and soy milk has the second highest. Almond milk is one of the lowest-calorie milk, although it provides little protein. 

9. Opt for Whole Grains

Whole grains are a prominent source of nutrients, such as B vitamins, fiber, iron, selenium, and magnesium. Try to make at least half of the grains you consume whole grain. It is essential to incorporate whole-grain options like popcorn, oatmeal, quinoa, and rice into your diet, especially if you are gluten-free. Whole grains contain complex carbohydrates, giving us energy and fiber, which makes them important to include in meals and snacks to provide sustained energy throughout the day. Using whole-grain bread on a sandwich, eating oatmeal for breakfast, or snacking on crackers with cheese are simple ways to incorporate whole grains.

What You Will Learn in a Grocery Tour with a Dietitian

A grocery tour with a dietitian is a practical, hands-on way to enhance your shopping habits and food choices. Guided by a nutrition expert, you'll walk through the aisles and learn how to navigate the grocery store more efficiently, identify healthier options, and align your purchases with your health and nutrition goals. Whether you're looking to improve your diet for weight management, chronic disease prevention, or just overall wellness, a grocery tour provides valuable insights to make informed choices that support your lifestyle. Here are the things you will learn on a grocery tour with a dietitian.

1. To become a more informed shopper

2. How to select the best seasonal produce

3. Learn how to read nutrition labels to understand a product’s fat, carb, sugar, sodium, and fiber content.

4. To decide between different products

5. To understand how to verify a brand’s health claims

6. Learn how to select the items that best suit you.

7. Make better choices in the convenience foods aisle

8. Find suitable or better alternatives to what you currently buy where we can

9. How to shop smartly and save money

10. Tailor your shop to your unique nutritional prescription.

Sources:

That Clean Life

Local Food

A Full Bite

HyVee

Eat Fit Health

Alexa Lewis RD

Tree of Life Nutrition