Kroger Health Offers Free Telenutrition Service to Promote Healthy, Affordable Eating

Dietitian-led service helps customers manage new eating routines during the COVID-19 pandemic

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May 21, 2020, 08:15 ET

CINCINNATI, May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), today announced a free telenutrition service to help Americans shop for, prepare and enjoy healthy fresh and non-perishable foods during the COVID-19 crisis. The free telenutrition service is the latest offering from Kroger Health's Food as Medicine platform.

During the pandemic, customers' shopping styles, cooking preferences and eating routines have shifted. According to a customer trends report developed by 84.51°, Kroger's data science and analytics business:

Kroger is now offering a free telenutrition service to help individuals and families shop for, prepare and enjoy healthy fresh and non-perishable foods during the COVID-19 crisis.

51% are cooking and baking more often than before the crisis, while 45% are cooking the same amount. Just 4% are cooking less often;
40% say they are eating more comfort and indulgent foods;
40% of customers say they have purchased more packaged foods than they usually do; and
46% of customers say they are snacking more throughout the day.

To help customers manage and navigate the new normal, Kroger Health's telenutrition service offers:

A complimentary virtual consultation with a registered dietitian via a two-way video chat;
Personalized support and plans for individuals and families — whether cooking for the first time, experiencing tighter budgets or navigating reduced access to fresh or favorite foods;
Management of food-related health concerns, including weight maintenance or loss, gastrointestinal conditions and eating disorders, and nutrition plans associated with fertility, oncology and more.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has changed shopping, cooking and eating routines for households across America," said Jim Kirby, Kroger Health's senior director. "Many families and individuals are for the first time exclusively relying on cooking for meals, some with limited budgets and nutrition knowledge. Through Kroger Health's telenutrition service, our dietitians are providing free personalized nutrition advice to help our customers shop for and prepare delicious and affordable nutritious meals."

The telenutrition service will remain free¹ for all customers through the pandemic, including Medicare and Medicaid patients. Customers can schedule unlimited visits with the code "COVID." To learn more about the telenutrition service or to sign up, visit http://www.krogerhealth.com/telenutrition.

About Kroger Health:
Kroger Health, the healthcare arm of The Kroger Co., is one of America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,000 pharmacies and 200 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14 million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare practitioners - from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to dietitians and technicians – are committed to helping people live healthier lives. We believe in practicing at the top of our licenses and enabling "food as medicine" to help prevent disease before it starts. Learn more at www.krogerhealth.com.

About 84.51°
84.51° brings together customer data, predictive analytics, and marketing strategy to drive sales growth and customer loyalty for Kroger and more than 300 consumer-packaged-goods companies in the U.S. Our programs achieve business objectives by driving awareness, trial, sales uplift, earned media impressions and, ultimately, customer loyalty. Using a sophisticated, proprietary suite of tools and technology, we turn customer data into knowledge, resulting in a more enlightened, more personal, dynamic approach to putting the customer at the center of every business decision.

About The Kroger Co.:
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

¹ The free telenutrition service is not conditioned on the purchase of items or future services.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.