Bountiful’s ‘Modern Dad’ Finds Easy Way To Grocery Shop

BOUNTIFUL, Utah — Feeding a family is a daunting task, especially when you’re trying to make healthy decisions. One father of young kids is on a mission to make the process simple and fun.

Jason Dunnigan calls himself “The Modern Dad.” He’s earned that title by sharing all household chores with his wife.

“I’m not done with the day when I get home from work. I do the dishes, I clean the house, I change diapers, I like to go shopping for the kids’ clothes,” he described.

And that’s not it.

“I love grocery shopping. I love finding the things that my kids are going to like,” he said.

However, Dunnigan admits shopping can sometimes be challenging, especially when his little kids want to buy unhealthy treats.

“Cereal is the worst and the hardest part is that the stuff that’s all sugar is lower (on the shelf) and so when the kids are walking they want to grab that,” he explained.

When that happens, Dunnigan puts his kids in the cart and suggests a similar alternative like Corn Flakes over Frosted Flakes, but that’s not his only solution.

Intermountain Healthcare dietitians teamed up with dietitians at Associated Foods to label healthy choices with special tags to help people make smart decisions.

Joy Musselman, a registered dietitian at McKay-Dee Hospital, said you can trust the “Dietitian Preferred” tags.

“When you’re in a rush or you have kids that are pulling in different directions, it’s so much easier to just look at the shelf and identify the tag,” she said. “You don’t even have to look at the label — we’ve done that work for you.”

Musselman said tagged items are minimally processed and have more nutrients. She said tagged products are generally rich in nutrients most people generally need more of, like fiber, calcium and iron.

The dietitians also excluded overly processed foods that people “shouldn’t be eating too much of like added sugar or unhealthy fats,” Musselman added.

“We made it as easy as possible for consumers to come into the market and to quickly identify the healthiest food options generally speaking,” she said.

Dunnigan uses the tags to shop for his family.

“I know that’s going to make it easier for me,” he said. “I can just pick it and be fine with all those things that are in there.”

Dunnigan said it helps him get out of the grocery store much sooner and gives him more time to spend with his kids.

“I want to make it fun and colorful and healthy for them to start those early habits now,” he said.

Dunnigan said he loves being a dad and wants to enjoy a healthy life with his family.

“The time goes by so fast, and I just don’t ever want to miss those things,” he said.

You can also find other tags labeled such as “Organic,” “Gluten-Free,” or “Local Proud” at any Associated Foods grocery store like Fresh Market or Macey’s to make your shopping experience easier.