What Are the Best Health Food Stores in Wichita?

GreenAcres Market got its start in Wichita and now has four locations here, plus more in the Midwest region. They strive to protect the environment and our natural health, so you won’t find products that are bleached, hydrogenated, fumigated, or irradiated. The same goes for artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors and preservatives.

GreenAcres at 21st and Maize hosts a Locals Night in Wichita every Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. during the months of May through September. It’s a great event to check out if you want to get familiar with local vendors and taste their food products. GreenAcres is partnered with a wide variety of vendors in the area with the goal of creating more awareness and helping people achieve success on their health journey.

Many different departments can be found throughout the aisles of GreenAcres: deli, gift baskets, grocery, frozen and refrigerated, health and beauty, local, produce, specialty cheese and olives, specific diets, vitamins and supplements. Their custom gift baskets are especially cool because they can be built around your favorite products in the store, colors or corporate identity. They can customize the baskets to meet special dietary requirements such as gluten-free, low-fat, vegan or raw.

Found in 19 states, with two locations in Wichita, Natural Grocers provides organic produce, dietary vitamins and supplements, body care and free nutrition education. Their goal is to impact how the food in America is raised and produced by supporting and promoting pasture-based products as well as the farmers and ranchers who raise them.

Their dairy standard has recently been raised in order to truly provide the highest quality products. All feed must be certified organic, may not come from GMO sources and must not contain animal by-products. No added antibiotics are allowed. In addition, all animals are treated humanely and must be allowed to graze on pasture for a minimum of 120 days.

Natural Grocers only sells USDA certified organic produce. Choosing to only sell organic produce was one of the earliest business decisions they made, one that they think has supported the growth of organic growing and organic farmers over the years, and has given their customers the freedom to shop for the best produce without worrying about pesticides and genetic engineering.

Sprouts Farmers Market recently opened in Wichita with one location at Central and Rock. They are heavily focused on produce, but you’ll also find mountains of wholesome grains, nuts and sweets, a bakery, a full-service deli and meat and seafood counters complete with homemade sausages and burgers. You'll also find specialty items, a wide range of beer and wine, supplements and hundreds of gluten-free items.

In addition to selling products, Sprouts Farmers Market also provides a healthy living resource for customers by sharing recipes, how-to videos and educational content on their website. You can even set your preferences online to receive specials and their newsletters on a weekly basis via email.

You can’t have a list of healthy grocers without including Whole Foods. My personal favorite, Whole Foods has everything necessary to make it a nationally dominating health food store. Opened in 1978 in Austin, Texas by a college dropout, Whole Foods is now a leader in natural and organic foods, with 468 stores in North America and the United Kingdom

Located at 13th and Webb in Wichita, they strive to be more than just a grocery store. They want to provide environmental education, community involvement and, of course, wholesome food. On their website, you can find recipes, articles about eating healthy, special diets and lifestyles, and fun kid-friendly meal ideas.

The Wichita store truly has something for everyone, making it a one-stop shop. Grab a cup of coffee or smoothie before work, pick up a quick lunch from the kitchen or grab a fresh-baked loaf of bread from the bakery for dinner.

Locally owned Douglas Avenue Chop Shop was opened by The Anchor’s owner, Schane Gross, in 2014. Although they aren’t considered a health food store, they are a high-end butcher shop which specializes in high-quality, hormone-free natural meats such as beef, rabbit, pork and chicken. They offer Creekstone Farms Premium Black Angus Beef, Wendland Farms Heritage Red Wattle Pork, Rare Hare Barn Rabbits, Good Shepherd Poultry and more.

In addition to meats, the shop also has a case of gourmet cheeses plus farm-fresh eggs, tubs of chicken and pork broth, and imported butters. Right now, they have fresh squash and zucchini in their grab-and-go case.

On Saturdays, they have a Sample Saturday event where you can try items before you buy them. Check their Facebook page each week to see what they’re featuring.