Grocery shopping can be daunting. Whether you’re at odds over whether to buy Oat Bran or Lucky Charms or never make it past the Ramen noodle shelf, help can be found at the Ames Hy-Vee stores.

Crystal Morrison, ISU alumna and dietitian for both Ames Hy-Vee stores, 3800 Lincoln Way and 640 Lincoln Way, offers many ways to help make grocery shopping easier, including personal shopping assistance, store tours and individual nutrition counseling.

Morrison said she sees a variety of customers with different needs.

One example of this is Celiac Support Group Meetings, providing support for those with a gluten-free diet.

Morrison works with customers to create meal plans based on their needs, medical histories and eating habits through individual nutritional counseling.

If the grocery store overwhelms you, personal shopping assistance or a store tour may help.

Morrison said an aisle-by-aisle tour teaches consumers how to read food labels and can cover two to three products in every aisle. It also provides a time to try food samples, such as in-season citrus.

The tours can be more specific, such as a focus on low-sodium foods.

“I try to offer a tour every month,” Morrison said. “A lot of people do call individually.”

Each month, Morrison comes up with a theme to relate to the season. For January she focused on weight loss, and February will relate to National Heart Month and focus on low-sodium nutrition.

Morrison also tries to incorporate in-season foods with her themes. Since citrus fruit is in season, she recently demonstrated how to clean a pomegranate.

Morrison encourages people to follow this standard when grocery shopping: “Most of what you can put in your cart should come from the outside of the store,” Morrison says,

Morrison says that fresh produce and meat are your key targets for ideal shopping.

Morrison said that students can get meal ideas through Simple Supper Solutions, an assortment of samples from meals made by Morrison and ISU dietetics students that are offered weeknights at both Hy-Vee stores.

Recipe cards and ingredients are also available, including those for popular meals, such as Philly cheesesteak wraps and barbecue chicken pizzas.

“Students are busy,” Morrison said. “Just like families.”

Katie Flickinger, senior in dietetics, works with Simple Supper Solutions at the East Ames Hy-Vee.

She enjoys meeting customers and has learned that healthy eating does not have to be tricky.

“The supper ideas aren’t too difficult,” she said.

Hy-Vee Dietitian Services:ÿ

Celiac Support Group Meeting

Discuss living with celiac disease and have a place to meet others who can inform you about celiac-friendly products.

Weight-Loss Grocery Store Tour

Learn about healthy foods and tips to manage a healthy weight.

E-Nutrition Newsletter

Keep up to date on the latest in nutrition and program happenings at Hy-Vee.

Personal Shopping Assistance

Tours can be catered to your requests – such as managing weight or diabetes.

Individual Nutrition

Counseling

One-on-one help with nutrition. Appointment only, hourly rate of $60.

Simple Supper Solutions

Discover new meal ideas while shopping.

To sample Simple Supper Solutions:

Samples offered every night at the East Ames Hy-Vee and Tuesday and Thursday at the West Ames Hy-Vee

To make an appointment or register:

Call Crystal Morrison at (515) 450-0508 or e-mail her at [email protected].

Crystal Morrison, RD, LD, CDE