LEWISTON – Chips, soda and candy seem to be the snacks of choice, with less than 25 percent of Maine adults reporting that they eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Sixty percent of Maine adults and 15 percent of Maine youth are overweight or obese.

Healthy Androscoggin and Hannaford stores in Lewiston and Auburn are teaming up to fight the overweight and obesity epidemic by educating Hannaford customers about four major aspects of a healthy diet through a point-of-service education campaign. Every two weeks posters will be displayed in the stores highlighting one of four nutrition topics: calcium, fiber, fruits and vegetables, and protein.

Customers who filled out a survey describing their shopping and eating habits were entered to win a $100 gift card to Hannaford.

Sherry Knowles, winner of the raffle, said that while she considers freshness and cost while choosing foods, she has recently begun looking at nutrition labels on foods. “There’s a lot to learn when considering the nutrition content of food, but the health benefits make it worthwhile,” said Knowles.

“Our hope is that we can educate customers to weigh the pros and cons of food choices. This doesn’t mean that they have to cut out the foods they love, but instead make informed choices regarding the nutrient content of foods,” said Jessica Balkun of Healthy Androscoggin.

The project has been made possible through a grant from the Maine Nutrition Network, which is a collaboration of public and private organizations whose mission is to support the health of the residents of Maine.

“Eat your Way to Better Health” is one of the many projects organized by Healthy Androscoggin, a community coalition dedicated to improving the cardiovascular health of Androscoggin County through supporting tobacco-free lifestyles, encouraging physical activity and promoting healthy eating. For more information, visit www.healthyandroscoggin.org.