In its continuing effort to promote healthy kids and communities, GIANT Food Stores is helping kids and their families make healthier choices and eat better all year round.

GIANT is again offering free Kid Healthy Ideas store tours this year, giving teachers, parents, and troop leaders a fun and interactive way to help teach children how to make healthier choices and reinforce nutrition curriculum taught in local schools. More than 17,000 youngsters participated in a total of 985 tours held in participating stores in 2012. To schedule a Kid Healthy Ideas store tour at your local participating location, visit www.fieldtripfactory.com or call 1-800-987-6409.

“What better place to start eating healthier than at your local supermarket, which is why GIANT is making healthy living choices easy for families in 2013 and beyond,” said Sarah Glunz, in-store nutritionist. “We invite all of our educators to take advantage of the resources we have available including our Kid Healthy Ideas store tours and our online Passport to Nutrition program.”

GIANT offers its online Passport to Nutrition program to give kids, parents and teachers the information and motivation to make healthier choices by improving lifestyle and eating habits. The program consists of lessons which cover the food pyramid/MyPlate program and physical activity, understanding food labels and portion control, how to eat enough fruits, vegetables and grains and healthy snacks and beverages. Accompanying each of these lessons are downloadable worksheets, kid-friendly songs and interactive games to reinforce the healthy eating messages. To access Passport to Nutrition, visit www.giantfoodstores.com/kidhealthyideas.

While shopping customers can pick up the latest edition of Kid Healthy Ideas, a free health and wellness magazine, available at your local GIANT where weekly circulars are found. The 12-page publication is geared towards kids ages 8 to 12 and features health-related educational articles, games and recipes written by nutritionists, expert associates, and community health partners. GIANT winter edition of Healthy Ideas magazine is also now available in-store and online at www.giantfoodstores.com/healthyideas.

To bring additional awareness to healthy choices, customers who purchase any ten products designated as Healthy Ideas in a single transaction using their BonusCard now through January 31, will automatically be entered into GIANT Healthy New Year Free Produce for a Year sweepstakes. Most fresh produce (excluding avocados and coconuts) qualify as Healthy Ideas and GIANT exclusive Healthy Ideas blue and green product labeling system helps customers find other healthy options as they shop the aisles. In order to receive the Healthy Ideas distinction, a product must meet certain criteria related to total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar amounts developed by a team of registered dietitians. Details and complete rules can be found in-store at the customer service center.

For more healthy recipes for kids and a variety of other health information, visit www.giantfoodstores.com/healthyideas.