• Home
  • Nutrition advice
  • Fitness advice
  • Beauty advice
  • Recipes
  • About the Experts
English | Español

Discover Good
  • Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty

The Supermarket Produce Section: Fruits, Veggies and Chips?


 Posted by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training  0 Comment

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
Loading ... Loading ...

Naked fruits and veggies means good nutrition.

There’s a little funny business going on in the produce section of my local supermarket. There, nestled next to the apples, are cartons of caramel sauce. Tucked in by the strawberries are tubs of chocolate glaze. There’s neon-orange cheese sauce alongside the fresh chili peppers, and a huge display of tortilla chips next to the avocados. It looks as if a turf war is going on with packaged foods competing for space in the produce section—an area that used to be reserved only for healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables.

It’s understandable that packaged food manufacturers would want to worm their way into the produce department. For one thing, most retailers place their fresh fruits and veggies close to the entrance, so it’s the first thing shoppers see when they come in. Shoppers also say that the quality of fresh produce is one of the key factors in deciding which market to go to, and an attractive produce display plays up the freshness angle. And to most people fresh suggests healthy.

Of course, fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you. And they deserve to wear their “health halo” proudly. Then there are some foods that wear the halo even though they probably shouldn’t—foods that sound healthier than they are, like granola bars (mostly refined flour and sugar) or certain yogurts (the brightly colored sugary stuff in a tube). But here we’ve got foods that don’t even sound healthy—like caramel sauce, processed cheese and chips—that end up wearing the halo simply because they sit next to foods that do. It’s sort of a “health halo by association.”

It seems to be having an effect on shoppers. Stores are finding that consumers think that anything found in the produce section is fresher and of higher quality, even if it’s packaged, which is why many food companies want to claim some space there. As it is, most markets will keep refrigerated salad dressings next to the lettuce, and you’ll sometimes find vegetarian meat products and tofu in the produce section, too. This seems reasonably logical—the dressings have to stay chilled, and the meatless meats and tofu are vegetable-based. But when you see a tub of caramel sauce sitting next to a display of fresh apples, well, that’s just an impulse buy waiting to happen. 

When it comes down to it, that’s exactly what the grocers want you to do. Impulse buying has a big impact on their bottom line (and the extra calories you consume as a result can have a big impact on you, too). It’s no accident that the dairy case is usually at the back of the store. We run out of milk or eggs more often than almost any other food, so chances are good that we’ll pick up something else as we run in and make our way to the rear. And who hasn’t fallen victim to an impulse candy purchase at the checkout?

Savvy supermarket shoppers know most of the ground rules for healthy grocery shopping: shop along the perimeter where the fresh foods tend to be, don’t shop when you’re hungry, and make a list and stick to it, so you’ll curb your impulse buying. Now that we’ve got items popping up in the produce section that don’t really belong there, it looks like we need to add another rule to the list: don’t assume that everything you see in the produce section is healthy for you. Or, for that matter, that it’s even a fruit or a vegetable at all.

« The Package Says “Medium” but the Calories Say “Large”
Low-Carb, Low-Fat, Vegetarian – Is One Diet Better Than Another? »

    Share This


Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training
Susan is the Senior Director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife, where she is responsible for the development of nutrition education and training materials, and is one of the primary authors of the Herbalife-sponsored blog, www.discovergoodnutrition.com. She is a Registered Dietitian and holds two Board Certifications from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, and a Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management. Susan is also a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Susan graduated with distinction in biology from the University of Colorado, and received her master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Colorado State University. She then completed her dietetic internship at the University of Kansas. Susan has taught extensively and developed educational programs targeted to individuals, groups and industry in her areas of expertise, including health promotion, weight management and sports nutrition. Prior to her role at Herbalife, she was the assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, and has held appointments as adjunct professor in nutrition at Pepperdine University and as lecturer in nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Susan was a consultant to the (then) Los Angeles Raiders for six seasons, and was a contributing columnist for the Los Angeles Times Health Section for two years. She is a co-author of 23 research papers, 14 book chapters, and was a co-author of two books for the public: “What Color is Your Diet?” and “The L.A. Shape Diet” by Dr. David Heber, published by Harper Collins in 2001 and 2004, respectively.


  • Search

  • Sign Up for Updates

  • Meal Plans

    • 1200 calorie diet
      Try This 3-Day 1200 Calorie Diet Plan
    • Streamline Your Diet With This Healthy 1500 Calorie Plan
    • 2200 calorie diet
      Sample Menus for a 2200 Calorie Diet Plan
    • personalized diet
      How to Create a Personalized Diet Plan
    • 1800 calorie diet
      Healthy 1800 Calorie Diet Plan
  • Fitness advice

    • holiday season fitnessMake Holiday Season Fitness a Priority
    • Correct stretching: finding balance with flexibility training | Samantha Clayton | HerbalifeCorrect Stretching: Finding Balance With Flexibility Training
    • treadmillEliminate Treadmill Boredom This Winter
    • Get a Gym Partner: 6 Ways to Convince a Friend to Work Out
    • The 4-6: 4 Exercises For Six Pack Abs
  • Beauty advice

    • awkward beautyHow to Avoid an Awkward Beauty Moment
    • healthy hair6 Tips to Soft, Shiny and Healthy Hair
    • 10 Ways Makeup Can Help You Look Younger
    • Sensitive skin5 Tips to Keep Your Sensitive Skin Calm and Beautiful
    • Hair RemovalWhat’s the Best Way to Remove Unwanted Hair?
  • Nutrition advice

    • supertasterAre You a Supertaster?
    • Chefs' diet secrets
    • healthy behaviorHealthy Behavior: Making Healthy Diet Changes that Last
    • diet techniquePopular Dieting Tools and Techniques
    • Heart healthHeart health: How to fine tune your diet in 5 easy steps



Privacy Policy | CCPA Suplemmental Notice

Copyright © 2019 Herbalife International of America, Inc.