Dana McLaughlin RD 2016 Supermarket Dietitian of the Year

On Feb 10, 2017

Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has named Dana McLaughlin, R.D., retail dietitian of Inserra Supermarkets’ ShopRite of Wallington, as one of its “2016 Supermarket Dietitians of the Year.” Each year, PBH recognizes the top supermarket registered dietitians for their support of Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® the nation’s largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition initiative.

“We are thrilled for Dana and congratulate her on this honor,” said Lindsey Inserra, vice president of marketing and corporate retail health and wellness at Inserra Supermarkets. “Dana is passionate about educating individuals of all ages on the vast-ranging health benefits of eating more produce. She is a valued member of our Health and Wellness Team here at Inserra, and certainly well deserving of this recognition by the Produce for Better Health Foundation.”

In 2014, McLaughlin joined the family-owned Inserra Supermarkets, which owns and operates 22 ShopRite stores in New Jersey and New York. On a daily basis, McLaughlin and her fellow registered dietitians at Inserra provide shoppers with free nutrition counseling, helping them to make informed food choices for themselves and their families. In addition, the dietitians host a wide range of store-based events, including cooking workshops for adults and kids, nutrition counseling sessions, weight management classes, recipe demos and product spotlights, among many others.

McLaughlin served as the retail dietitian of Inserra Supermarkets’ ShopRite of Fair Lawn before moving to the company’s Wallington location. She possesses a strong background in providing evidence-based medical nutrition therapy for diabetes, heart disease and gastrointestinal disorders as well as other conditions.

Inserra Supermarkets’ mission “to care deeply about people and help them to eat well and be happy” goes hand in hand with its emphasis on the health and wellness of customers and associates. At the heart of these efforts is its dietitian program, which the company continues to expand. It currently has 16 dietitians in its stores.

At Inserra Supermarkets, McLaughlin often takes a leadership role in the planning of dietitian events. In addition, she is a member of the dietitian team that creates the chain’s “Meal of the Week,” which features at least two vegetables as part of the suggested dinner spotlighted at each Inserra ShopRite.

In addition to their efforts leading store-based events, Inserra Supermarkets’ dietitians regularly partner with local communities on a variety of programs. These include the company’s “Future Shoppers Program,” which McLaughlin participates in each year. Each month, McLaughlin visits two third grade classrooms at local elementary schools to teach key nutrition topics, such as MyPlate and the importance of making half of one’s plate fruits and vegetables. At the end of the school year, the students will join McLaughlin at ShopRite of Wallington for a fun-filled event to put their newly-acquired knowledge into action at the store.

“It is a true honor to receive this award from the Produce for Better Health Foundation,” said McLaughlin. “I am thankful for the opportunity to work with such a talented group of professionals at Inserra, who are as dedicated to improving the health of others as I am.”

Since 1991, Produce for Better Health, a non-profit 501 (c) (3), has motivated people to eat more fruits and vegetables through industry and government collaboration. PBH also chairs the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance, which consists of government agencies, non-profits and industry entities working collaboratively to achieve increased nationwide access and demand for produce.