Decoding food labels and understanding nutrition is half the battle when it comes to staying healthy. At the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone in Brooklyn, a new physician-led program is helping patients manage—and in some cases avoid—chronic conditions like diabetes simply by taking an interactive walk up and down the aisles of the local grocery store.

Mary K. Ellis, MD, a family medicine physician, takes diabetic and prediabetic patients on a learning experience through their neighborhood grocery stores to help them better understand the information on food labels and how it affects their health.

On this shopping tour, patients place groceries in their baskets like any other trip. But this time, Dr. Ellis is there to discuss their food choices and offer healthier alternatives.

“This is all about helping our patients take control of their health in a fun and engaging way,” Dr. Ellis tells News 12 Brooklyn. “I’m passionate about helping my patients find ways to stay healthy but you can only do so much in the doctor’s office. Sometimes you need to get out into the real world where people live, shop, and eat. That’s why we started the grocery store tours this year.”

Watch more from News 12 Brooklyn.