Meijer

Meijer’s is a regional American supermarket chain founded in 1934. Meijer is credited with pioneering the modern super-center concept in 1962.

Since 2009, Meijer has been promoting its NuVal System to help shoppers find the nutritional value in foods. Meijer has also hired a team of Registered Dieticians who work with stores and customers to promote healthy lifestyles. One of those dieticians, Kristen Johnson, RD, works with CAHA’s Healthy Lifestyles Committee on its different initiatives.

Meijer’s was the first retailer in Michigan and the third in the country to offer the program developed by a team of the country’s nutritional experts and health organizations. NuVal uses an algorithm that weighs a food’s favorable nutrients: vitamin, mineral and fiber content, against unfavorable nutrients: trans fats, saturated fats and added sodium and sugar to develop a simple rating system to inform customers about the relative nutritional value of the food they are purchasing.

The program has 8,000 labeled products from 15 different food categories that include fresh produce, frozen vegetables, cereal, cookies, crackers, eggs and egg products, fresh sandwich bread, milk, fresh seafood, meats, pasta, shortening/oil, salty snacks, canned vegetables and juices/drinks throughout the store.

The system helps customers see at a glance the nutritional value of the foods they are buying. Scores are displayed directly on shelf tags, scale labels, and other signage throughout the store so customers can make quick and easy nutritional comparisons between foods.

Along with the in-store information, Meijer’s has a Web site, Meijerhealthyliving.com, where customers can find more information on the scoring system, meal planning ideas, recipes, tips and advice from the dieticians and information on special dietary needs like diabetes, gluten free and other allergies.

The Capital Area Health Alliance has, for many years, focused on Healthy Living through its Healthy Lifestyles Committee. This year, the Alliance launched a new community-wide initiative called Choosing Health!®. The purpose of that initiative is to find ways to get the community to use existing resources to aid in their pursuit of healthy lifestyles. Recognizing the work that Meijer has done to call attention to healthy eating and the investment Meijer has made to present the information in an attractive and aggressive manner, dovetails perfectly with the work the Alliance is doing in its Choosing Health!® movement. Meijer’s investment in NuVal and other community programs like the Mid Michigan Food Bank, demonstrates Meijer’s commitment to the health of the Capital Area community and reveals why Meijer was chosen to receive the Alliance’s Community Service and Corporate Responsibility Award.