Put that ice cream back!
Nutrition nannies to patrol aisles in Waitrose giving healthy diet advice
A TEAM of ‘ nutrition nannies’ is to be employed by Waitrose to advise shoppers on a healthy diet.
The supermarket chain is appointing 100 healthy eating specialists – both men and women – who will be available in the aisles to give advice.
They will wear aprons and fleeces carrying a healthy eating specialist label, and be available to direct people towards healthier choices.
Customers might present a shopping basket with their purchases to the adviser and ask for advice on alternatives with less fat, sugar or salt and fewer calories.
Someone who has recently become vegetarian could be advised how to add extra plantbased protein and foods that replace the important micronutrients found in meat.
The adviser might simply recommend a recipe of fresh seasonal food for a healthy evening meal for the whole family.
Waitrose is also extending a trial of a £95 service offering personal nutrition consultations from two stores within the M25 to an outlet in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
It comprises a health questionsouth ‘Sir, may I suggest the carrots in aisle 5?’ naire, private consultation, followup appointment, personalised diet and lifestyle plan, as well as a starter pack of healthy Waitrose food and recipes.
The measures appear to be part of an attempt to encourage households to sign up to a Waitrose lifestyle, designed to make it different from other supermarkets.
The company has already added sushi bars, wine bars and supper clubs to some stores and also offers yoga classes at some outlets in the of England. Moira Howie, nutrition and health manager at the chain, said: ‘Many shoppers have the best intentions to be healthier but busy lives get in the way. We know that small steps, top tips and nuggets of good advice can help them get started and stay on track.
‘Research shows that changes do not have to be radical to have a positive effect and can have a lasting impact on health.’
A spokesman said: ‘Our healthy eating specialists will advise and direct customers who ask towards healthier choices on the shop floor, both on a day-to- day basis and through organised shop tours.
‘They have also been trained to advise shoppers on how to read food labels and where they can find reliable sources of nutrition information.
‘Health and nutrition is a growing interest with our customers, and our research shows that people want extra help finding healthy products and information.’
The first 11 nutrition nannies will be in stores by the end of May with the rest of the 100 by the end of this year. The move comes on the back of research commissioned by Waitrose showing that a third of adults said they did not have enough time to focus on their health.