This Ohio Grocery Store Is Offering Free Fruit to Kids Under 12

One in three children in America are considered overweight or obese, and a stroll through a typical grocery store is very telling as to why. The majority of foods marketed towards kids are unhealthy, and it's often cheaper and more convenient to eat junk food than it is to invest in a healthier diet. A grocery store in Ohio hopes to counteract this by offering free fruit to kids as soon as they walk in the door.

The produce section of the Kroger Supermarket in Greenville, Ohio, now includes baskets of fresh fruit for kids 12 and under to eat from free of charge. Not only does it encourage kids to eat healthier, but it’s a smart way to distract them from the less nutritious options they may pass by as they travel the aisles with their parents.

The “Fresh Fruit 4 Kids” stand went up this past Tuesday and the store has already received an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. They’ve started by offering apples and bananas, but store manager Barbara Matthews says they’d like to eventually include choices that reflect what's seasonal. Encouraging kids to choose fruit over Twinkies and potato chips will still take more work, but getting rid of the price sticker for now isn't a bad start.