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Kroger's (KR) Healthcare Wing Partners With Performance Kitchen

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The Kroger Co.’s (KR - Free Report) healthcare division, Kroger Health, has teamed up with Performance Kitchen to introduce medically tailored meals (MTMs). This partnership seeks to offer evidence-based, registered dietitian-approved meals tailored to match the unique dietary needs of individuals dealing with various health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The introduction of MTMs promises to revolutionize health and wellness while ensuring access to nutritious foods.

A Game-Changer in Healthcare

James Kirby, chief commercial officer at Kroger Health, stated, "Offering MTMs allows us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to supporting individuals on their wellness journeys, while providing a personalized approach to help them transform their health. Through better options and access, we are assisting people in improving their quality of life, disease prevention and management."

Research conducted by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University underscores the potential benefits of MTM programs. The study suggests that MTMs could prevent 1.6 million hospitalizations and save health insurers a substantial $13.6 billion across the country in just one year, beyond the cost of the meals. Over a decade, the savings are estimated to reach a staggering $185.1 billion.

Performance Kitchen and Kroger Health share a common goal of integrating Food as Medicine into people's daily lives. These shared initiatives have played a pivotal role in crafting meals that meet nutritional standards and cater to diverse populations, including culturally relevant foods. Some of the options available include Chicken Dijon with Kale, Moroccan Style Chicken with Quinoa, Vegetable Chickpea Curry, and Salmon Pasta.

 

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A Holistic Approach to Wellness

Kroger Health complements the MTMs with its existing services, including virtual appointments with registered dietitians and access to healthy groceries. This holistic approach aims to enhance nutrition security and improve patient outcomes.

Performance Kitchen's commitment to delivering balanced meals is evident in its use of high-quality proteins, ample servings of vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains and fiber, while keeping sodium and added sugar in check. These frozen, single-serve, ready-to-heat meals provide a convenient solution for those concerned about the time required for meal preparation. All MTMs crafted for this collaboration are approved by Kroger Health registered dietitians.

Mark Walker, chairman and CEO of Performance Kitchen, expressed excitement about working with Kroger Health to empower the nation to live healthier lives through food.

Wrapping Up

Kroger Health's collaboration with Performance Kitchen to introduce MTMs marks a significant milestone in healthcare innovation. Beyond providing nutrition, it offers a personalized path to wellness for individuals managing various health conditions. The potential to prevent hospital visits and save costs, as demonstrated by research, is a testament to the transformative power of this initiative. These special meals, along with virtual dietitian appointments and access to healthy groceries, make healthcare more complete.

Kroger currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have risen 3.9% in the past three months compared with the industry’s rise of 14.6%.

3 Stocks in the Limelight

Here we have highlighted some top-ranked stocks, namely Grocery Outlet (GO - Free Report) , Ross Stores (ROST - Free Report) and Walmart (WMT - Free Report) .

Grocery Outlet, the extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is 12.3%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Grocery Outlet’s current financial-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 11.2% and 4.9%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. GO has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 14.3%, on average.

Ross Stores, which operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. The expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is 11.6%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ross Stores’ current financial-year sales and earnings indicates growth of 8.1% and 19.4%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. ROST has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.4%, on average.

Walmart, which operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores and grocery stores, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. The expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is 6.6%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Walmart’s current financial-year sales and earnings implies growth of 9.2% and 2.2%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. WMT has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.6%, on average.

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