Companies are cutting calories

In addition to companies cutting calories and serving sizes, Supermarkets can help guide shoppers to easy, healthy meal solutions.

According to NPR, two-thirds of us are now more likely to go for foods marketed as lower-calorie and "better for you," and that means we're finally eating fewer calories.

And as we are all changing our eating habits, companies are making some calorie cuts too. NPR reports that 16 companies, including General Mills, Kraft and Nestle, have removed 6.4 trillion calories from the marketplace. The calorie cuts, tracked by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, are part of a nationwide effort to tackle the obesity epidemic.

So how are companies cutting calories exactly? They're shrinking portion sizes. (Think 100-calorie packs.) And they're cutting back on sugar and fat. Take for example, General Mill and their Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies and Yoplait Greek 100. And consumers love them, so of course, these changes are good for the company’s bottom line as well. 

Hank Cardello, who directs the Obesity Solutions Initiative at the Hudson Institute, told NPR that there are clear signs that more healthful food can boost companies' bottom lines.

But of course, it’s not just smaller sizes that help, it’s what’s actually on your place. And here’s where retailers can help. Using deals and other promotional tools to get Americans to rethink what we put on our plates.

For example, displaying convenient and easy to prep dinners with simple fresh produce options?  In addition to companies cutting calories and serving sizes, Supermarkets can help guide shoppers to easy, healthy meal solutions.