By: Cathy Polley, RPh, Vice President, Health & Wellness, FMI & Executive Director, FMI Foundation

As September National Family Meals Month™ reaches its halfway mark, the FMI Foundation is pleased to highlight Price Chopper as our 2015 Retailer Category B (50 – 199 stores) 2015 Gold Plate Award winner.

Introduced in 2008, its Family Mealtimes Matter program is a noteworthy initiative for encouraging its family audience to enjoy more meals together at home. Jointly with Cornell Cooperative Extension educators, Price Chopper was able to provide Family Mealtimes Matter as a resource for healthy recipe ideas, information on the benefits of healthy meals and even fantastic tips for parents to utilize mealtimes as enjoyable quality time for the entire family.

In addition to encouraging families to have more meals at home, Price Chopper’s Family Mealtime Matters program also emphasizes the significance in families making healthier choices while making grocery shopping decisions. The program prioritizes educating shoppers to be able to make informed, healthy decisions while grocery shopping by promoting nutritious dietary habits aligned with USDA and Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as incorporating the NuVal Nutrition Scoring system within their retail stores. Aside from nutritional guidance, supplying fresh, quality food options is a part of Price Chopper’s approach to supporting more family meals at home and establishing its program as a comprehensive household resource.

For more resources and information to help you join in National Family Meals Month visit www.fmifamilymeals.com or access pre-recorded webinars reflecting data from FMI’s U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2015 report here.