LUNDS GIVES KIDS FOOD FOR THOUGHT WITH TOURS

MARYELLEN LO BOSCO

MINNEAPOLIS -- Lunds here is helping to educate youngsters about proper nutrition with a new store tour program.

Lunds' dietitians are offering 45-minute tours of the supermarket for elementary school students.

Since so many schools are facing budget crunches, Lunds targets schools close to its stores or sends a nutrition expert into the classroom, according to Felicia Busch, president of Felicia Busch & Associates, St. Paul, Minn., the nutrition communications firm that supplies Lunds with its dietitians.

Officials at Lunds were unavailable for comment.

Tours are tailored to the age of the students who attend. Dietitians work with teachers to make each tour relevant to the class lesson plan. For example, a math class may learn about unit pricing or figure percentages of nutrients, while a science/nutrition class may be sent on a food pyramid scavenger hunt.

The tour includes a visit to each department, at which children get to talk with various department managers, ask questions and get food samples. Most of the tour is conducted in Center Store.

Each tour usually consists of about 30 children, who are divided into two groups. The program is conducted by one of five nutritionists.

Since Lunds recently bought the Edina, Minn.-based Byerly's chain, the nutrition program will be expanded into those stores.

Fifteen tours have been held since the program debuted in October. Busch expects another 10 will be conducted by the end of this month.