U.S. grocery retailer Albertsons, which operates 2,272 retail food and drug stores nationwide, has enhanced its Sincerely Health digital platform in a move that could encourage its shoppers to eat more seafood.
Albertsons’ Sincerely Health platform measures grocery purchases based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate serving recommendations.
MyPlate provides guidance for consuming the five food groups that the USDA state comprises a healthy diet: fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. It also offers general advice on healthy eating.
The updated functionality within the Sincerely Health platform “empowers customers to make informed food choices based on their dietary preferences, household size, and age group,” Albertsons said in a press release.
Included in MyPlate’s advice is eating about 8 ounces weekly of seafood – the amount recommended for many adults – representing a portion size that MyPlate states can support a healthy diet as a nutritious source of protein, several vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids.
“With the launch of this feature, we are offering real-time nutritional information – both at an item and basket level – making it easy for our customers to make better food choices,” Albertsons Chief Digital Officer and Executive Vice President of Health Omer Gajial said.
By connecting a customer’s loyalty account to their Sincerely Health profile, the new nutrition insights tool reviews recent and future grocery purchases and automatically calculates how much of their food items meet MyPlate dietary guidance.
“With just a single tap, shoppers can quickly see if their grocery baskets may be lacking in one or more essential food groups,” Albertsons said.
Sincerely Health also provides personalized food recommendations, recipes, and articles based on nutritional and diet preferences, as well as dietary restrictions.
“This user-friendly experience simplifies eating recommendations and helps customers discover meals that align with their personal nutrition goals,” Albertsons said.
To offer customers an incentive for eating better foods, the platform also rewards “healthy points” for setting nutrition goals and adopting better eating habits such as cooking at home, limiting sweet treats, and cutting back on fried food.
“Customers can also earn weekly and monthly rewards for meeting their MyPlate recommendations across each food group. Accumulated points can then be redeemed for grocery coupons and discounts on items such as fresh produce, seafood, and meat,” Albertsons said.
Albertsons operates retail and drug stores under several different brand names including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, and Haggen. The new platform is accessible on 16 of its grocery apps and websites.
The initiative advances the company’s commitment to the goals set forth in the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health by empowering customers with actionable nutrition information and nutritious meal solutions, Albertsons said.
As part of a broader commitment to inspire better eating habits, Albertsons pledged to provide 50 million evidence-based nutrition recommendations to digital customers by 2024 and launch six health campaigns by 2025, utilizing in-store events and digital platforms to increase awareness of MyPlate dietary guidance.
Albertsons is one of a growing number of U.S. grocery chains that are using nutrition programs to encourage shoppers to eat healthier foods, including seafood.
West Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A.-based Hy-Vee, for example, recently launched Hy-Vee Healthy You, a health and wellness subscription service that provides personalized nutrition counseling, preventative health screenings, product recommendations, and recipes.
Hy-Vee Healthy You users can access the grocery chain’s Healthy Habits menu program and on-demand freezer meal prep classes. These options “take customer education to the next level,” allowing them to directly add seafood to grocery lists, Hy-Vee Assistant Vice President of Dietitian Services Megan Callahan told SeafoodSource.
Hy-Vee Healthy You subscribers can also get two free health screenings annually. Those can include omega-3 index and biometric screenings.
Photo courtesy of Albertsons
