The Promenade Red Apple at 23rd and Jackson is getting a small healthy foods makeover, thanks to a partnership with the University of Washington School of Nursing. Starting Tuesday, some products will be shifted around and new signs will be installed encouraging young people to make healthy choices when buying food.
From Moving Together in Faith and Health:
Red Apple Market Promenade at 23rd & Jackson is joining forces with the University of Washington School of Nursing and six Seattle churches to promote healthier eating to children and youth. Store management has been working with the school’s groundbreaking project, Moving Together in Faith and Health (MTFH). On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, Red Apple will allow MTFH to make small changes which are intended to yield big results.
The changes include strategic placement of healthy, whole produce among the array of sweets and fried foods. Bottled water will also be moved to more highly visible positions among the many sugar-laden beverages offered in the deli section. Where a teen may have been instantly drawn to a doughnut, brownie or bag of chips, he will find apples, bananas, pears and more. At the same time these changes are taking place, Red Apple management is allowing for healthy fruit and vegetable floor decals to be installed. Those fun, child-friendly, active images accompanied by cartoon footprints will lead children and families to the produce department where they may pick out fruits and vegetables that they otherwise would not have chosen. The decals were designed by University of Washington Nursing Students, and printing paid for by the “Healthy Foods Here” initiative, which is part of the nationwide Communities Putting Prevention to Work program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
In yet another effort to put a healthier face on Red Apple, store management has invited UW School of Nursing to have a healthy table display of information and eye-catching edible goodies at their holiday vendor showcase on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Most of the other vendor tables will offer samples of traditional holiday foods like prime rib and desserts, but Dr. Doris Boutain of the UW School of Nursing says offering Red Apple shoppers ideas for healthy alternatives is a strategy that gets them and their children thinking. “We were invited to have a table at last year’s event and parents and children were crowded at our table tasting the fresh fruit kabobs that were simply prepared with fresh fruit and natural yogurt dip. It is all about planting the seed.” Boutain added that before the showcase last year, one child had never tasted a grape. “The child enjoyed that grape so much, that she just stood there and asked for more. We are thrilled that Red Apple sees the importance of promoting healthy eating and curbing the trend of childhood obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes.”
As part of the grant, Moving Together in Faith and Health, Dr. Boutain has been charged with helping six churches develop healthy eating and active living policies in their churches. Those policies are now complete and approved by the churches, a feat some said was impossible. She also has the responsibility of facilitating relationships with community partners like Red Apple and Central Co-Op, resulting in changes in their stores that support the churches’ health policies and the vision for a healthier community.
About Moving Together in Faith and Health
Moving Together in Faith and Health is a University of Washington School of Nursing Project. By developing and implementing policies, six churches in Central and Southeast Seattle are expanding their historical faith and health legacies. The churches involved are Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, New Direction Missionary Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church and First A.M.E. church. They are becoming national institutional models for healthy eating and active living environments for children, youth, adults and families. Ultimately, churches will move together to transform neighborhood environments into places where faith and health opportunities, nutritious foods, and physical activity are affordable and accessible to everyone. These activities by local cities and King County are supported by Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW), a federally-funded grant to address obesity and tobacco use, two of the leading causes of death in King County.
In other Red Apple news, the store is hosting a holiday open house Wednesday, including photos with Santa. More info via Facebook.
Why is a public University providing a faith-based program?
If those nurses really wanted to do some good, they would start with the pathetic grocery store, The Grocery Outlet on MLK & Union.
Red Apple in the CD promoting healthy food choices along with UW and local churches?
That looks interesting: I think I’ll have to check this out.
I love Grocery Outlet! I’ll never pay pull price for toiletries, cleaning supplies or gatorade again.
I love the Grocery Outlet. I always thought it was a dive having never been in there before. Once I went in and started shopping there I have grown to love it. Not everything is great, but they have some great deals on produce, dairy, wine and good beers for low prices.
Now if only their prices where a bit more inline with QFC and Safeway or better yet Fred Meyer. I only go there when on foot and every time I leave I wonder why I didn’t burn a bit of gas and save some money instead.
Red Apple is an oversized 7/11 to me. Convenience at a cost.
I see no problem with this, as long as there’s no proselytizing in the produce section.
Definitely better than the old Road Apple that used to be at MLK and Union, although the staff at Red Apple were nice, the selection then was dreadful.
Now, the Saba humus or Nutella at Grocery Outlet is half the price compared to QFC, they have smoked salmon, whole wheat tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, cans of almond roca, a smattering of organic stuff, good prices on huge pots for the garden. The organic farmer’s market during the summer is great. I like to walk over to Kim’s teriyaki place, put in an order for chicken breast yakisoba, then walk across the street to get my other groceries at Grocery Outlet, then swing back to pick up my take-out order and toddle home.
I couldn’t agree more, Bruce. The Humus is $1 cheaper than at Safeway, juice is always the best price, the fresh salsa is cheap and to die for, fresh blackberries and asparagus for half the price, and great deals on sheets, cleaners, tolietries. Also, 5×7 rugs so cheap you don’t feel guilty throwing them out when the kids destroy them.
I lived near the Red Apple in Ballard for two years before moving to Weller St. I couldn’t believe the difference in prices. The CD store is at least 5% more expensive on all items. They all get their goods from the same wholesaler. What’s the deal?
Shhh…..
Don’t spill the beans.
Let Mr/Miss “holier than thou” too-good-for-Grocery Outlet think what he/she wants. More for those of us who know better, and know&love The GrossOut.
“the deal”, people, is probably shrinkage.
Do you suppose, just maybe, the shoplifting at the Promenade Red Apple might just be a BIT higher than the one in Ballard? Could this be a clue?
Cause/effect. Amazing.
Not rocket science.
Those who disparage the GrossOut are clearly CD newcomers.
Anybody who’s been here awhile knows that, compared its previous incarnation as a Red Apple, or Roger’s before then–that store has never looked better in the past 15 years, at least.
We enjoy the Grocery Outlet, and walk over about once a week. I loved running into one of my new neighbors there, as had understood that they shopped only at the “best” stores. It looks to me as though I can now agree with them ( at least as far as their support of Grocery Outlet goes ). As to the wonderful Red Apple Store, well I still watch the repeat news stories of violence near by, and in their parking lot, and doubt I will stop by any time soon to see how they moved their produce displaces around to entice young people into buying a healthy carrot rather reaching over and selecting that sweet soda and bag of salty chips. Doesn’t the profit from each look the same in the store owner’s bank account?
Public funds favoring a specific religion? That’s ok?
You are so right JimS. The prices are higher because shoplifting rates are higher. The store has to make up for the loss.
The owner at GrossOut told me they have a pretty big problem with shoplifting there. It would be naive to think it’s not as bad, or worse, at the Promenade Red Apple.
Promenade Red Apple in the CD is my favorite Seattle grocery store because A. the nicest people work there, and B. they play the best damn music you’ve ever heard while grocery shopping. Now, it’s really my favorite!
We were just at the Grocery Outlet last night picking up a couple of items and one of those small live Evergreen trees out front. I like the store – there are definitely some great deals – but the kid who rang us up was practically sneering. A little friendliness goes a long way…the management might want to point that out at their next staff meeting.
Sneering cashier? Tell Steve.
I know the cashiers there. Two are snotty, the rest are pretty awesome…if you got the snotty ones, let the manager or the owner know.
Pingback: Food And Stress: 7 Healthy Picks That Can Help You Relax | Breakfast