Frozen Foods: A Solution for Healthy, Easy Meals Shoppers Seek

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

who frontpage

member frontpage

Join a Community that Champions, Connects, and Elevates!

Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

Today’s shoppers are looking for healthy, easy meal solutions, and since March is National Nutrition Month and National Frozen Food Month, it is an excellent time to take a fresh look at frozen foods. Frozen foods currently represent 6.2 percent of sales at food retail. When you consider that frozen foods can offer shoppers A) a nutritious option and B) a convenient meal solution, the opportunity to make frozen foods aisle part of your grocery store’s health and wellness offering is clear.

By: Sue Borra, RD, Chief Health and Wellness Officer for FMI and Executive Director of the FMI Foundation  <img src="http://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/frozen-food-aisle.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="Frozen Food Aisle" title="Frozen Food Aisle" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;" />Today’s shoppers are looking for healthy, easy meal solutions, and since March is <a href="http://www.eatright.org/resources/national-nutrition-month">National Nutrition Month</a> and <a href="https://www.nfraweb.org/promotions/annual-calendar/march-national-frozen-food-month">National Frozen Food Month</a>, it is an excellent time to take a fresh look at frozen foods. Frozen foods currently represent 6.2 percent of sales at food retail. When you consider that frozen foods can offer shoppers A) a nutritious option and B) a convenient meal solution, the opportunity to make frozen foods aisle part of your grocery store’s health and wellness offering is clear.  Last fall Emma Gregory, RD, manager of regulatory and technical affairs at the <a href="http://www.affi.org/">American Frozen Food Institute</a> and I conducted a webinar for retail dietitians on “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jih1YXd4Mk&t=11s ">Helping Shoppers take a Healthful Look at the Frozen Food Aisle</a>.” Emma shared data from nutrition and menu modeling studies that show how frozen foods are a nutritious and cost-effective choice for consumers. She refers to freezing as “nature’s pause button” and describes how fruits and vegetables are picked at their peak ripeness and then quickly flash, frozen—locking in the nutritional benefits. In addition, she notes that this process also insures nutrition equivalency or even greater value of many nutrients when compared to fresh items. To help educate shoppers, the American Frozen Food Institute has produced a Supermarket Dietitian Toolkit, <a href="http://howfreshstaysfresh.com/pdf/AFFI%20SRD%20Toolkit_FINAL_Web.pdf">Shopping the Frozen Aisle</a>, which provides background resources for dietitians and helpful materials to share with shoppers. Join the conversation on social media with #MarchFrozenFoodMonth.

Read full article on FMI

Menus

Some of the main menus of the template are now set via the template parameters saving you having to set up menu modules for each menu. From this section you can choose what menus you would like connected with these pre assigned menu areas of the template.

Copyright Information

Enter the copyright information that will appear in the footer area of your template.

Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.