Hy-Vee has a new dietitian who says she is eager to assist customers with their nutrition questions both big and small.

Rachel Breneman started at Hy-Vee this April. She hails from Byron and went to Kansas State University. Before coming to Albert Lea she had an internship in Madison, Wis.

Now the 34-year-old lives in Waseca and said she is excited to get involved in the community. Customers have stopped by her office and she said that both employees and customers have been welcoming.

Right now she is getting her bearings, but this fall Breneman said she will branch out and do more workshops and classes.

Breneman said she likes to educate customers to make better choices. Some of the things she likes to do are teaching people how to use food in a positive way to enhance health.

She also likes to keep it fun. Sometimes customers get bored with common foods, so Breneman said she likes to teach new ways to use cupboard staples.

There are many quick and easy things she can do to help, Breneman said. She can teach people how to cook certain foods as well as help with people who have special dietary needs such as heart health, diabetes or weight management.

Breneman said she wants to make nutrition easy to understand for her customers. An on-staff dietitian is a service not all grocery stores have so she said she is working hard to be as accessible as possible.

Some of the services Breneman offers as the Hy-Vee dietitian is shopping assistance, supermarket tours and medical nutrition therapy, among other offerings. One of the extensive services offered is the Hy-Vee Begin program, a 10-week program for healthy lifestyles.

Breneman stressed that she is still offering biometric screenings. A biometric screening measures levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose.

The biometric screening is $45, but for most services, the prices vary for each customer and his or her needs. Prices can be determined by contacting Breneman.

There are some in-store resources that can help customers make better choices. There is the Facts up Front labeling on the front of food packaging, which lists a serving of an item’s calories, sugar, fat, sodium and other nutritional details. Many products have Facts up Front labeling.

There is also a system called NuVal, which rates food on a scale of one to 100. The closer a food’s NuVal number is to 100, the healthier it is.

Breneman said these two product labels can help customers make better choices without having to ask a question. However, she stressed that she is always available to answer any questions.

This fall, Breneman will offer community and worksite wellness events and classes. When these services are available they will be widely advertised and information will be easy to find, Breneman said.

Breneman can be contacted with questions by phone at 507-377-2257 or email at rbreneman@hy-vee.com.