King Kullen Gets Ready For Back-To-School Season

The grocery store prepares for back-to-school season with healthy snacks, lunchbox ideas and school supplies.

Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) - It’s that time of year again! Back to school season is here, and King Kullen is ready to help parents and their kids start off the school year right with healthy snack options, lunchbox ideas and school supplies. With King Kullen’s help, it’s sure to be a successful year!

This year, parents should try taking their kids to the grocery store with them. Let them pick out their own foods for breakfast, school lunches and snacks. Encourage them to pick out yummy, healthy foods.

• Take them through the produce department to pick out local Long Island fresh fruits and veggies. Easy options are individual packs of Crunch Pak sliced apples and baby carrots, as well as assorted varieties of Del Monte and Sundia fruit cups. Rich Conger, King Kullen’s director of produce and floral, reminds parents to remember that with apple season upon us, and there are many new crop apples that are perfect for little one’s lunch boxes.
• Grocery Buyer Chris Williams recommends individually packed fruit bowls from the grocery aisles, such as Organic Full Circle Fruit Bowls. King Kullen carries three flavors (yellow cling diced peaches, diced pears, and diced peaches and pears combined). These low calorie, USDA organic fruit bowls provide an excellent source of Vitamin C and are great for breakfast on the go, or in lunchboxes.
• King Kullen’s nutritionist, Michele Tonner, recommends dried apples or other dried fruits. They are easy to pack and are a healthier snack option than chips or cookies.
• Many kids love cereal, with or without milk, so consider packing a snack-size bag of their favorite healthy cereal for snack time. Tonner recommends choosing options with less sugar and more fiber, to give added nutrition and keep energy levels up during a busy school day.
• Al Spinazzola, director of dairy and deli, recommends yogurt tubes for an on-the-go breakfast or snack. They are a great source of calcium, vitamin D and protein, and most kids they think are fun to eat. Another breakfast on-the-go idea? Sue Brooks, director of bakery and frozen foods, suggests frozen waffles or toaster strudel for time-crunched parents.
• Looking for an alternative to soda or sports drinks? Tonner suggests coconut water, as it has less calories and provides added potassium that active kids need throughout the day. Coconut water is available in myriad flavors and varieties.
• Need an after school snack to keep the kids energized before dinner? Al Gerrity, King Kullen’s director of meat and seafood, recommends gluten-free, lightly breaded pre-cooked items that can be quickly baked or microwaved, such as Perdue Simply Smart or Bell & Evans chicken nuggets and tenders.

Most parents selecting lunchbox options want to be sure to select healthy, nutritious options. King Kullen is the only retailer on Long Island that provides NuVal scores to its customers. NuVal scores food on a scale of 1-100; the higher the NuVal Score, the better the nutrition. NuVal scores allow shoppers to compare overall nutrition the same way they compare price. King Kullen’s Director of Pricing and Social Media, Tracey Cullen, explains that NuVal’s 1-100 scoring system makes it easier than ever to shop for good nutrition. For more information on how to shop with NuVal, visit http://www.NuVal.com/shop.

After picking out all the kids’ back-to-school snacks and breakfast and lunch foods, be sure to pick up their back-to-school supplies too! King Kullen’s Non-Foods Coordinator Marshall Irving states that whether just starting school or heading to high school, King Kullen has all the supplies kids need. Pick up pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, glue sticks and more – all at one convenient location!

King Kullen has several tips for successfully preparing for the first day of school. First, get everything ready the night before to avoid rushing in the morning. That includes laying out an outfit and packing lunch. Kids should get plenty of sleep the night before so that they feel refreshed and wide awake for the first day of school. Also, make sure to wake up on time or even early!

School starts soon, so get shopping today! Stop by the nearest King Kullen location today to find everything parents and kids need for back-to-school season!

About the company
Headquartered in Bethpage, New York, King Kullen Grocery Co., Inc. is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as America’s first supermarket. Michael J. Cullen opened the doors of King Kullen in 1930. Today, four generations later, King Kullen is still family-owned and operated. It remains a leader in the supermarket industry. From that very first store in 1930, King Kullen today operates 39 supermarkets and five Wild by Nature stores across Long Island. In addition to traditional grocery, King Kullen features a large catering and prepared foods department, freshly-baked breads and sweets, and healthy and organic areas, with pharmacies in many stores as well.