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SRMC holds grocery tours at Sonny's Super Foods

Two more scheduled for March focusing on cost-effective healthy eating

Grocery shopping on a budget can be a frustrating endeavor, especially when trying to make healthy choices as well as find the best price.

To assist the residents of Sidney, the Sidney Regional Medical Center (SRMC) has partnered with Sonny's Super Foods to provide a trio of grocery store tours led by a registered dietitian during the month of March.

"It's a way that we can connect with the community," said Marci Rosenberg, SRMC registered dietitian and leader of the grocery tours. "Especially at a local store."

Rosenberg said the tours are a part of the SRMC's Community Health Needs program, which addresses relevant health concerns in the area as determined by its residents.

"An assessment was done for Sidney, telling us what they wanted from us," Rosenberg said. "One of the things was nutrition information, so we responded in several ways."

Other activities in the program include an annual health fair, scheduled for April 30 from 7-11 a.m. at the medical center at 1000 Pole Creek Crossing in Sidney, and the "All About Food" program with Dr. Jen Brown, held every second Tuesday of the month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the SRMC cafeteria.

"We also did a kid's health fair last October," Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said with the grocery tours, she tries to focus the information on what the shoppers are looking for.

"I'll go through the aisles and provide basic nutrition information," she said. "But every tour that I've given is different because it depends on what people are looking for and what questions they have. Everyone has their own goals."

Rosenberg said she will help them find specific foods and ingredients they are looking for during the tour as well.

"Things like fruits and vegetables in the aisles, not just what's on the perimeter, and cheap ways to find those items," she said.

Rosenberg also covers the benefits of foods containing things like fiber and whole grains.

"So they know what that means and what it helps with," she said.

One of the biggest concerns Rosenberg said she addresses in her tours regards the perception of high price that is attached to healthy eating.

"That's a big question," she said. "How do we shop so that we're staying nutritious but still within our means? That's a huge thing that drives what people choose. When you can buy all these foods to make from scratch, it gets pricey after a while, and then (fast food restaurants) have their dollar menus."

Rosenberg said a lot of the cost can be cut down by shopping for canned goods.

"That's what I do," she said. "Those are still healthy products. A lot of people might stay away from them because they're not organic or because of the salt content. But there are ways around that, with 'no salt added' products or there are ways to rinse them off to reduce the salt.

"Cooking with those items can be cost-effective and still nutritious."

Rosenberg said she also cover creating meal plans during the grocery tours.

"How to plan out meals for the week and make a shopping list based off of that," she said.

Two more SRMC Grocery Store Tours will be held at Sonny's Super Foods, located at 2020 10th Ave. in Sidney, on Thursday, March 24, and Wednesday, March 30, both from 3-4:30 p.m.

For more information, call Rosenberg at (308) 254-5071.

 

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