Smiley Face in Shining Armor

 So, Wal-Mart is now the nation’s nutritional hero, sweeping in to save the day and our waistlines by supplying healthier food choices at their super stores. My gut tells me there’s more to this than meets the eye; perhaps just a jumpstart on the required nutritional changes soon to be adopted by the overall grocery industry anyway. Nothing like being the first one to hop on the old bandwagon, so to speak. It’s an age old marketing ploy. If all goes according to plan, Wal-Mart’s changes should have Americans clamoring to buy more fresh fruits and vegetables. Does this really mean Wal-Mart’s customers will start eating healthier, or does it merely mean that by reducing the price of healthier snacks in their stores Wal-Mart will be encouraging their customers to spend more money buying more snacks. Plus, being the first to reduce the sodium and sugar in their own house brand sends a very strong signal to not only the consumer, but to other companies as well; “We’re doing all we can to improve the nutritional standards of our products, what are you doing?” Again, is Wal-Mart really America’s smiley face in shining armor?