Tops Markets partners with dietary/diabetes educator to debut Savings for Health

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Tops Markets, which operates 132 stores in western New York and Pennsylvania, is offering customers a new service to help them make healthier eating choices and develop better habits, according to a report by The Buffalo News.



Offered in partnership with Southtowns, N.Y.-based dietary and diabetes education consultant Propel Health, the program, called “Savings for Health,” offers enrollees access to information on food and menu-planning options based on products that currently are available in local Tops stores. The program costs $19.95 per year to join.



The goal of Savings for Health is to reinforce the message that eating healthy foods doesn’t have to break the bank. "Healthy eating does not have to be more expensive. That's a misconception," registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and Propel Health owner Jeff Ensminger told The Buffalo News. "[Savings for Health is] geared toward preventing chronic diseases, but treating them as well."



Once enrolled, users access a password-protected website at SavingsForHealth.com to receive weekly updates on available health food items and products, as well as recipes, meal-planning tips, weekly coupons and the weekly healthy shopping list, which also is e-mailed to enrollees. All foods, recipes and meal recommendations on the site meet or exceed American Medical Association, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society and American Dietetic Association dietary guidelines.



According to a Tops Markets spokeswoman, the chain’s Buffalo-area stores will be the first to try out the new program, which is expected to be rolled out to the retailer's stores in other markets, the newspaper noted.