Healthy Convenience Stores

   Years ago, when my son was playing travel soccer, I would bribe/reward him for attending the games with a trip to the Krauszer's or Wawa on the way home for some Wild Bill's Shredded Beef Jerky.
    And while that is not as bad for an 11-year old as you may think (lean protein), it really would not qualify as a healthy snack.
     We still love Wild Bill's, although his athletic endeavors segued into distance running and now, lifting weights.
    And while those stores still have plenty of beef jerky choices, some of that is more upscale selections like Perky Jerky, a Colorado-based product made with cage-free, grass-fed meat. Kraft Heinz has come out with a product called the P3 Portable Protein Pack - a mix of meat, cheese, and nuts.
    The trend toward healthier convenience store items was detailed in a recent Chicago Tribune News Service article by Greg Trotter. The National Association of Convenience Stores trade show was held in Chicago in October. The industry is huge ($550 billion in sales last year), but sales of their staples: soda, cigarettes, and in most states, gasoline, are slowing.
    They realize they need to appeal to millenials who are frequenting Starbuck's and Panera Bread for their coffee and quick meals.  Packaged protein bars and over-ripe bananas by the cash register have been part of the convenience store experience for awhile. But now the trend is to more made-to-order food and salads as well.
    According to the article, store owners in lower-income areas felt that devoting coveted shelf space to healthier items will hurt their bottom line. Unhealthy foods are cheaper to purchase, and let's face it, usually are immediately satisfying to the taste buds. However, it's the same old problem, if healthy options are not available, the people definitely will be eating junk. And we know the long-term costs: high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity issues, and higher cancer risks. It was great to see Newark, known for decades as a "food desert" open up a Whole Food Market recently!
    A trip to the convenience store will always conjure up images of hours-old coffee, a huge assortment of lottery tickets, Marlboro's, and, of course, roller dogs. There is something pridefully downscale about it, really, and that will never change completely.
    However, a declining bottom-line and a look to the future as people change their habits are causing not a revolution, but an evolution, in this staple of American life.