If you’ve ever shopped with us, you’ve likely heard our story, the one about Margaret and Philip Isely going door-to-door all the way back in 1955 lending books on nutrition and selling whole grain bread and other natural foods and supplements. They had a vision to not just sell healthy food but to educate people about health and the foods and supplements that support it. Nutrition education was so integral to the Isely’s mission that it became one of the five founding principles that remains a mainstay of the business today.

One of the most notable benefits of this dedication to nutrition education is our Nutritional Health Coach (NHC) position. In the first little store, Margaret started it all by answering nutrition questions in the aisles and empowering customers to take charge of their health. Today we have an NHC in nearly every store to carry on this practice. Not only are they there to answer questions in the aisles, but they also teach numerous classes and give one-on-one coaching sessions—all at no charge to customers. You won’t find this kind of accessibility to trustworthy knowledge in your big box store or while shopping online.

Nutrition education doesn’t just stay in the supplement department though. All employees receive basic nutrition training when they are hired, monthly educational trainings, and have the opportunity to participate in nutrition challenges that educate and support them to make healthy diet, supplement, and lifestyle changes. This means that as a whole, Natural Grocers’ staff is some of the best nutritionally educated you’ll find anywhere. Does the employee at the big box store know the difference between vitamin D2 and vitamin D3? Probably not. But most of our staff does.

And while our outward emphasis on nutrition education is amazing, what impresses me more is how our understanding of nutrition guides the decisions on what fills our shelves. We don’t just carry what is popular in the media or the things that might sell the best. Instead, we vet each product before it hits the shelves to make sure it meets our high-quality standards. Standards that are driven by, you guessed it, nutrition science.

Did you know that we refrigerate our bulk nuts and seeds because we understand that the beneficial fats in them are delicate and susceptible to rancidity when not cared for properly? We refrigerate them to ensure our customers get nuts and seeds that actually deliver on the promise of healthy fats. We understand nutrition and refrigerating the bulk nuts and seeds is just one way we put it into practice every day. You can see it in practice all over the store, from the ingredients we won’t sell, to our strict dairy and egg standards, to the supplements we stock on our shelves.

I’m often amazed when I’m at other stores or looking online that health foods and supplements are sold right next to those with dubious ingredients. It makes me wonder, do they just not understand nutrition, or do they just not care? Because if you understand nutrition and you care, you don’t carry products with unhealthy ingredients or supplements with questionable safety records just because they’ll sell. Our commitment to nutrition means that customers can always trust that they are getting the healthiest and highest quality products without having to search them out or scrutinize every label.

Of course, there are other wonderful things about Natural Grocers, like the fact that we are still family owned and have a deep commitment to the communities in which we do business—a true rarity these days. We’re also dedicated to keeping our healthy products affordable and are committed to protecting the environment. But if you ask me, the thing that really makes Natural Grocers stand out is our unending commitment to nutrition science and education. There are very few companies that have managed to stay true to their roots in the face of growth and progress. We started out as a humble little health food store and while we may not be so little anymore, we’re still a real health food store, one that you can trust, and one that you know has your best interests in mind.

On August 17^th Natural Grocers is celebrating 62 years of business by throwing a big party. Come by for some great sales (on truly healthy products), samples, lots of prize giveaways, a super healthy powerhouse pudding, and an ice cream social—all free, and all to remind you that we’re just as committed to you and your family as Margaret and Philip Isely were when it all began.