The Giant Co. Takes At-Home Trend to Summer Camp

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Dining and cooking at home was a trend that surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic but has had staying power. And despite rising food prices, IRI reports that when it comes to fresh produce trends, shoppers are looking for excitement in the produce aisle as the at-home trend is sticking and shoppers are looking for a more elevated experience.

Heading into the warmer months, The Giant Co. is taking the current at-home trend to summer camp. The Carlisle, Pa.-based grocery retailer in a May 31 statement said it has launched its own virtual Summer Camp series hosted by its retail dietitians. 

The series runs from June through August and features recipes and meal ideas around topics such as space, history, movies and sports, the grocery retailer said. All classes are free and will be held live via Zoom.

“While food brings families together year-round, there is something special about time spent together in the summer—making s’mores by the campfire, picking strawberries, and grilling all the barbecue favorites,” Kilene Knitter, dietitian for The Giant Co., said in a statement. “Our Summer Camp series is full of plenty of food fun for families and chefs of all ages.”

Classes include:

• Mini Chef Mornings – Every Monday at 10 a.m., mini chefs ages 6 and under will enjoy a reading and “snack-crafting.” Classes include banana bee bites for learning about honeybees, “Encanto” cocadas for munching on at the drive-in movies, and pineapple chocolate dinosaurs for diving into history, Giant Co. said.
• Build a Board – Join the dietitians Tuesdays at 10 a.m. for summer camp series-inspired boards, from the “Ultimate Road Trip” board for planning a cross-country road trip to a golf “par-tee” board for snacking before hitting the greens.
• Family Meals at 5 – Tuesdays at 5 p.m., this class is all about making an affordable meal in under 30 minutes. Among the meal ideas the dietitians are tackling this summer include charcoal grill mountain pies and easy fish tacos with corn slaw. 
• Better-for-You Baking – Every Wednesday at 10 a.m., bake summer camp-inspired better-for-you treats, including mason jar cakes and cobblers, oven-based “fried” Oreos and galaxy cake.
• Foodie Family – Saturdays at 10 a.m. will be about creating nutritious foods with the whole family. This class is recommended for all ages, and will include recipes such as roasted ranch chickpeas; red, white and blue frozen smoothies; and lemon lava cakes.

The Giant Co.’s dietitians will also host various Feature Friday classes throughout the summer, including Mocktails in a Minute, a Summer Produce Series, Salads in a Snap, Skills on the Grill, and Back to School with a focus on food allergies.

Advanced registration is required for each class at thegiantcompanynutritionists.eventbrite.com, where a complete listing of virtual classes and ingredients can also be found. The Giant Co. said shoppers can earn 50 CHOICE Rewards points when they register, provide their card number, and attend the entire class.

Giant Co., an Ahold Delhaize company, operates nearly 190 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia under the Giant, Martin’s and Giant Heirloom Market banners.