Giant Food offers virtual nutrition services

A regional grocer is offering free online classes and consultations for customers seeking nutritional guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Giant Food will be offering free, weekly online nutrition and healthy living classes aimed at all consumers, as well as content for individuals with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. These virtual classes are designed to serve as an extra preventative measure to ensure healthy living habits between non-urgent doctor visits which may be delayed due to COVID-19 healthcare demands.

People can choose from online classes including general healthy living, selecting healthy foods, gradual lifestyle changes for healthier lives, and eating for prediabetes and diabetes. Giant is also offering free personalized online consultations with their team of registered and licensed dietitians for customers who have further questions about their health and wellness. Consultations are by appointment only.

"Research shows that even limited short term access to regular health care during a crisis can have long lasting effects on lifestyle conditions like diabetes and heart disease," said Lisa Coleman, director of healthy living at Giant Food. "Our customers are cooking more, often on a limited budget, and are feeling uncertain about how to best adapt their routines. Our goal is to provide easily accessible support during this stressful time which can often exacerbate issues like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and more."

Giant Food is headquartered in Landover, Md. and operates 163 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.