‘I’m So Hungry I Could Eat a …’

He’s no Clark Griswold! Frank Beard shares how he stays healthy by eating at convenience stores.

June 06, 2017

DES MOINES, Iowa – Frank Beard set out to prove that anyone can eat healthy anywhere, including a convenience store. For 30 days last summer, Beard only ate food from c-stores, chronicling his journey and sharing his story at the 2016 NACS Show, on a recent Convenience Matters podcast and in NACS Magazine.

Beard, who is now an analyst with GasBuddy on c-store and retail trends, continues to tell his story, including a recent interview with Iowa news station KCRG.

“I’ve watched for years as people feel like they're failures because they forgot a prep meal and bring it to the office and they feel bad that they go to [get] fast food or [to] a gas station,” Beard said. “They seem to automatically think it means you have to go for a greasy burger or something you don’t want to eat.”

Beard cites Kum & Go as one of his favorite convenience stores for its healthy options, which the chain is bringing to the forefront.

“People will always want pizza. They'll always want roller grill. They'll always want candy bars. But a lot of people also want healthier items,” Kum & Go manager Erin Butler told the news source. “So, we started bringing in fresh fruit, cut-up fruit and vegetables, fresh sandwiches and salads that we make in our stores every day.”

Beard shares that no matter where folks are when they’re out and about and hungry, convenience stores are a great choice for healthy options. “Look for the cooler. Most convenience stores now have an open air cooler and that's where they put things like fresh-cut fruit, vegetables and yogurts,” he said.

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