Walmart Wants to Make a Healthier You

When most people think about grocery shopping for healthy foods, Walmart usually doesn't come to mind. They want to change that.

Walmart, the nation’s largest food retailer , unveiled the "Great For You" icon at an event today as part of the company’s healthier food initiative. The icons will initially appear on select Walmart Great Value and Marketside items, as well as on fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables at Walmart U.S. stores nationwide this spring.

"Our 'Great For You' icon provides customers with an easy way to quickly identify healthier food choices," said Andrea Thomas, senior vice president of sustainability at Walmart in a statement. "As they continue to balance busy schedules and tight budgets, this simple tool encourages families to have a healthier diet.

This step has been part of an initiative inspired, according to Walmart, by the First Lady Michelle Obama's goal to fight obesity and help American's learn how to choose healthier foods. However, this relationship has created problems between the administration and unions.

"Today's announcement by Walmart is yet another step toward ensuring that our kids are given the chance to grow up healthy," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "The healthy seal will be another tool for parents to identify the best products for their kids. Giving parents the information they need to make healthy choices is a key piece of solving childhood obesity."

The icon proposes to guide people to make incremental changes to their diet by encouraging more nutritious food choices. They use a science-based criteria and extensive evaluation process by Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, according to Walmart.

Another impact to Walmart's healthier eating initiative to watch out for, besides a slimmer waistline, could be how other grocers respond. The store is a market mover and could signify a shift in how others decide to label food as the battle for scarce consumer dollars continues.