At some point in their busy lives, your patients are going to turn to or find themselves in a convenience store to buy food. This will happen occasionally for some patients, such as when they are traveling for vacation or run out of a food staple before the next grocery trip. However, it may be a regular practice for others, often because conveniences stores are, well convenient – close to work or an easy place to stop for a snack while traveling or getting gas.
As suggested by their name, these stores prize convenience over all else, and this extends to food. There is nothing wrong with pairing convenience and food preparation. Use of pre-chopped fruits and vegetables, for example, can save considerable time in the kitchen and make the cooking experience less onerous. And, compared to many fast-food options, careful shopping in a convenience store is preferable to picking something off the drive-through menu.
Still, convenience stores mostly offer food choices that are less healthful. These food products are tasty because they are loaded with saturated fats, added sugar, and sodium; and they are shelf-stable, easily transportable, available in single-serve packaging, and provide the vendor with a healthy profit margin. However, amid the “food swamp” of the convenience store, there are a reasonable number of more healthful choices you can recommend to your patients. The goal is not to ferret out perfect food choices but to find better selections that meet the convenience criteria.
- Yogurt – Many convenience stores stock yogurt. Yogurts are generally high in protein and some incorporate healthy fruits. If plain yogurt is not available, or is not to your patient’s liking, suggest either low-sugar or varieties that generally have less added sugar.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables – Although they are unlikely to have a robust produce section, many convenience stores do stock bananas, apples, and oranges. These are often right near the cash register, so no search is necessary. There may also be packages of baby carrots or carrot sticks, celery, and apple slices in the refrigerated section.
- Nuts and seeds – Among the displays of sports bars and breakfast bars, consumers can find small bags of nuts and seeds. Many of these will be salted, but still usually under 140mg per serving designated by the government as low sodium. Advise patients to look for varieties without sugary coatings and to avoid the trail mixes that have chocolate or other candies generously mixed in with the nuts.
- Cheese and fruit snack packs – The fruit included in pre-packaged snack containers is often available as either fresh (grapes or apples) or dried (cranberries or raisins). Although cheese has elevated levels of saturated fat, the amounts in these packages are small and they provide some protein and calcium. While not low in sodium, this small amount of cheese can fall in the acceptable range for most patients.
- Hummus packs – Unfortunately, many hummus packs include pretzels or crackers made with white flour. If your patient is willing, they can purchase small packages of baby carrots or celery to eat with the hummus.
Convenience stores are never going to be a recommended destination for the everyday purchase of food. However, this note from convenience.org tells us that the sale of food is becoming their focus. “With falling revenues from fuels and tobacco products, foodservice sales are increasingly becoming convenience stores’ most profitable category. In fact, convenience store foodservice contributed 22.6% of in-store sales in 2018, with prepared food driving the category’s growth.”
Rather than expect compete avoidance of convenience stores, it behooves us to meet our patients where they are and help them navigate these options effectively.
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Nora Saul is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Nora has more than 25 years of experience in the field of diabetes education, consulting for the Joslin Diabetes Center and other industry partners. Nora leads content development for Silver Fern’s diabetes products and training.