COLCHESTER, Vt. - Vermont has decided to help small retailers to sell healthier options through its new "Fit and Healthy" campaign, WPTZ-TV reports. Stores can volunteer for the program, which provides free signs and other materials to assist the merchants in promoted healthier alternatives.

"What we want to do is help them highlight healthy options, (including) some that might already be in their stores," said Yvonne Zietlow with the state??s health department.

The state hopes more convenience stores will adopt the merchandise mix of The Colchester Variety Store, which offers a bounty of fresh produce for customers. While owner Lauri Connolly still has the more typical convenience store products like tobacco, she hopes her more healthful items will differentiate her store from the competition.

"They know that they can come to rely on us to pick those products up rather than having to travel all the way, sometimes into another town, to get the items they want," said Connolly.

Some of the suggestions "Fit and Healthy" gives to retailers includes putting tobacco products behind glass cases or curtains to curb teen smoking.