LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford," Bill Simon, chief executive officer of U.S. stores for Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart says.

Wal- Mart "is uniquely positioned to make a difference," with more than 140 million customer visits each week, by making healthy foods more affordable.

Michelle Obama said Wal-Mart's initiative is a victory for parents and children that will give families more information and more opportunities to eat more healthy foods. The first lady went on to say that the move "has the potential to transform the marketplace."

Wal-Mart also plans to reduce prices to save customers about $1 billion a year on fresh fruits and vegetables. The company said it would develop "strong criteria" for simple front-of-package seals that would help consumers identify healthier foods, including whole-grain cereals, whole-wheat pastas or unsweetened canned fruit.

"Let's call it what it is -- an expense cutting program," said Brian Sozzi, an analyst at Wall Street Strategies in New York who recommends selling the shares. "I am not trying to discount what they are doing here, but 51 percent of their sales are tied to grocery, and inflation is climbing in the category. If they can reduce costs here and drive higher volume through share gains, it's a nice formula."

"It's largely a big PR effort and part of the larger strategy to win over the hearts and minds of regulators, politicians and others that oppose Wal-Mart's efforts to grow their store base in urban markets," Colin McGranahan, analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein says.