QUINCY, Mass. and PURCHASE, N.Y., Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- To continue its commitment to promote healthy kids and communities, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC, is helping families make healthier choices and eat better all year round.

Now through January 31, customers who purchase any ten products designated as Healthy Ideas® in a single transaction, using their Stop & Shop card, will automatically be entered into Stop & Shop's Healthy New Year Free Produce for a Year sweepstakes. Most fresh produce (excluding avocados and coconuts) qualify as Healthy Ideas and Stop & Shop's exclusive Healthy Ideas blue and green product labeling system helps customers find other healthy options as they shop the aisles. In order to receive the Healthy Ideas distinction, a product must meet certain criteria related to total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar amounts developed by a team of registered dietitians. Details and complete rules can be found in-store at the customer service center.

"At Stop & Shop, we strive to make shopping for healthy foods easy. With our Healthy Ideas® shelf and product labeling system, customers can find truly healthy foods," said Julie Menounos, in-store nutritionist for Stop & Shop New England Division. "With a little planning, families can create shopping lists together and gather recipes, coupons, and inspiration from our quarterly Healthy Ideas® Magazine and weekly circular."

While shopping, customers can pick up the latest edition of Kid Healthy Ideas, a free health and wellness magazine, available at their local Stop & Shop where weekly circulars are found. The 12-page publication is geared towards kids ages 8 to 12 and features health-related educational articles, games and recipes written by nutritionists, expert associates, and community health partners. Stop & Shop's winter edition of Healthy Ideas magazine is also now available in-store and online at www.stopandshop.com.

Stop & Shop, in partnership with Field Trip Factory, is again offering free Kid Healthy Ideas store tours in 2013, giving teachers, parents, and troop leaders a fun and interactive way to help teach children how to make healthier choices and reinforce nutrition and healthy living curriculum taught in local schools. In 2012, Stop & Shop hosted more than 1,600 tours in participating stores reaching 29,500 youngsters. For a complete listing of participating stores or to schedule a Kid Healthy Ideas store tour, visit www.fieldtripfactory.com or call 1-800-987-6409.

For more healthy recipes for kids and a variety of other health information, visit www.stopandshop.com and click on the Healthy Ideas tab at the top of the homepage.

About Stop & Shop

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs approximately 62,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer, and promotes general health and wellness – with emphasis on children's educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA's Smart Way program; has been awarded LEED (EB) certifications for more than 50 of its existing stores; and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.

SOURCE Stop & Shop