Natural Grocers switches to virtual nutrition education classes to help customers stay fit while at home

Juli Oberlander • October 1, 2020

Natural Grocers switches to virtual education classes during COVID-19

Photo courtesy of Kimberlie Sauer

Founded by Margaret and Philip Isley in 1955, Natural Grocers has served Americans over the years as a store that values both healthy food choices and nutrition education.

When Margaret Isley become ill after the birth of her second child, a shift to a healthier nutrition brought positive results and the inspiration for the Isleys' dream to provide free nutrition education as a foundation for healthy living. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, that dream is more important than ever, says Kimberlie Sauer, nutritional health coach at Natural Grocers.

"Natural Grocers is a grocery store like no other," Sauer says. "Today, 160 stores in 20 states have been built upon five founding principles beginning with free nutrition education, followed by offering quality products (to support the education), affordable pricing (so everyone can afford to take care of their health), community support (such as buying and offering local products, and donating to nonprofit organizations), and ensuring a happy and healthy workplace for their crew."

Sauer says each Natural Grocers store has a nutritional health coach that offers nutrition education classes. Before COVID-19, the coach's role focused on fostering community relationships, attending health events, bringing in food experts to perform cooking demonstrations and offering free one-on-one health coaching sessions.

Now, the pandemic has changed Natural Grocers' health policies, with the stores offering adjusted hours and home delivery options. Sauer says the Colorado-based organization also responded to social distancing requirements by cancelling all in-store nutrition education classes through Oct. 1.

"When public health became a concern for our society due to COVID-19, these offerings had became postponed," Sauer says. "However, the nutritional health coaches marched on. They became store support, helping the store management and crew with all things retail: stocking shelves, cashiering, cleaning, and more importantly, by continuing to answer customer's questions about supporting health and well-being."

While in-person classes were no longer a possibility, Sauer says Natural Grocers adjusted by shifting its focus to offer free phone and virtual health coaching sessions during the pandemic. The stores will also offer virtual nutrition education and cooking classes in the future.

Sauer says this change was important for both coaches and customers.

"What was astonishing was the quick action of Natural Grocers' Nutrition Education Department in Colorado," she says. "Within just a couple of months, they adapted the processes of the nutritional health coach position so that the number one founding principle of Natural Grocers could remain nutrition education. Doing so allowed customers and crew to continue to have access to dependable health knowledge during a time when everyone needed it the most."

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