Eating Healthy with Diabetes Jewel Grocery Tours
Jacqueline King, MS, RDN, CDE, FADA
As a dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and person with diabetes (PWD) for almost 50 years, I have found that healthy eating is a vital part of my diabetes management. It is also important to have a local grocery store to obtain the healthiest foods available and a pharmacy for medications and diabetes supplies.
Over the last 30 years I have been a customer at the Jewel/Osco store in Mount Prospect, Illinois. I have always found this store has a variety of healthy food choices. It also has sugar-free items making diabetes management easier.
On March 9, 2016, I covered the free, “Eating Healthy with Diabetes” grocery tour at my local Jewel. The tour was lead by the Jewel Dietitian, Samantha Wolfe and the Jewel Wellness Pharmacist, Emily Nuter. The team approach of dietitian and pharmacist was especially useful.
The Jewel/Osco has a large section near the pharmacy for classes with a table for speakers and participants. We had eight participants so we could speak, ask questions, and share experiences. During our class the dietitian covered food label reading to determine carbohydrate contents in foods to allow balance with medications.
The store tour took 90 minutes with the dietitian covering all of the food sections pointing out each food category and reviewing the best choices.
After we finished the tour we went back to the table where we tried the One Touch glucose monitor. Each participant received a Jewel Diabetes diet booklet and healthy food samples.
If you ever have an opportunity to go on a Jewel grocery store tour I would sign up as soon as possible. Diet is not only the most important aspect of diabetes management, it can also be fun.
Jacqueline King, MS, RDN, CDE, FADA
Author, “Too Busy to Diet”