Blue Zones Project in Pottawatomie County recently announced that FireLake Discount Foods achieved designation as the first Blue Zones Project-approved grocery store in Oklahoma.
FireLake Discount Foods completed the certification process, which includes encouraging parking at the farthest spaces from the store, selling healthy grab-and-go lunches, hosting monthly shopping tours led by a registered dietitian, distributing healthy recipes and hosting in-store monthly food demonstrations to promote healthy cooking.
I appreciate Richard Driskell and his employees for their effort in helping to establish the Blue Zones concept at FireLake Discount Foods,” said Citizen Potawatomi Nation Vice-Chairman Linda Capps. “This concept will help shoppers and their families live healthier lives by making better selections. We know that healthy choices are made when it is easy to do so, which is why FireLake has implemented changes to help shoppers make better choices.”
A popular change for parents with young children is the Blue Zones Project checkout lane. Instead of shelves stocked with candy bars, gum and sweet treats that kids beg for — and that many adults may find hard to resist as well — the lane features a variety of healthy snacks such as granola bars, nuts and fruits.
“We know that many of our customers are shopping for healthier options,” said Richard Driskell, FireLake Discount Foods store director. “We wanted to take a leading role in helping them achieve their healthy lifestyle goals. Becoming Blue Zones Project approved highlights the number of ways we’re doing just that.”
“Grocery Stores are the perfect advocates to promote health and well-being,” said Miriam Bell, Blue Zones Project Pottawatomie County organization lead. “We applaud FireLake Discount Foods for making healthy choices easier for its customers.”
Brought to Pottawatomie County through an innovative sponsorship by the nonprofit, Oklahoma-based Avedis Foundation in collaboration with Sharecare Inc. and Blue Zones LLC, Blue Zones Project is a community-by-community well-being improvement initiative designed to enable community members to live longer, happier lives with lower rates of chronic diseases and a higher quality of life.
Based on principles developed by Dan Buettner, National Geographic fellow and New York Times best-selling author of The Blue Zones and The Blue Zones Solution, Blue Zones Project is designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to the built environment, policy and social networks.