The Better Health Store

The food at the Deli is five stars. It is amazing! And organic :) But, as other reviewers have noticed the staff has issues. This is the second time I’ve been there and nobody knows how to work the latte machine. One time I waited for 20 minutes for my order and they had no idea I ordered anything. Some of the staff knows how to use the cash register, most don’t and are extremely slow. There was an extra long line at the resisters today so another worker was called up. In front of everyone he got into an argument about why he was called up. Then he couldn’t figure out how to log into the register and proceeded to throw a fit about it. If the staff could be trained and competent I would consider giving it five stars.

My husband and I just stopped at Better Health for a few things and to check out the new remodel. We decided to grab a sandwich at the ‘deli’. I have to say, I am not impressed. I always liked their café before. But now the layout is really awkward. We ordered our sandwiches to eat there and the service was slow and we had to carry them to the check out way across the store with no bag or box, just a tiny plate. Then, my husband’s cheeseburger had no cheese. So, he had to again walk across the store with his sandwich to get the cheese! They didn’t even come looking for him when they realized their mistake. It is just a weird set up. I preferred it the way it was before. Doubtful I will eat there again. Can’t wait for Whole Foods to open!

If I absolutely have to find a niche item for cooking in a pinch, I’ll go here but otherwise I wouldn’t recommend Better Health. Not customer friendly, selection is ok but not great prices and really the experience at this store has never ever been great for me. If I am going to pay more for healthy items at least make it enjoyable to shop, do something to stand out but this place is less than average. Often I pay a bit more to just shop on Amazon. For those of us who love cooking healthy items ant eating organic it’s frustrating I would love to find a great health food store and I would be a loyal customer but this isn’t the place I spend my money.

The owner, Paul, has no etiquette or accommodation when it comes to customer service. I tried purchasing a black label kombucha (0.5−1.5% alcohol) and was declined. Before the cashier even asked for my ID I pulled out my temporary license because my driver’s license had been confiscated. It was embarrassing enough to have to do that and yet, although I’ve been going to this store about once a week for over a year now, I was still declined. I’ve had multiple friends work there and have been told that in addition to not recycling, there has been an enduring moth problem in dry storage. I would strongly recommend the East Lansing Food Co-​op over Better Health because the prices are no higher, they recycle, and there is no moth problem at ELFCO. General staff at Better Health is good but management is nothing but a practice of hypocrisy and theft from health food shoppers.

I haven’t been here in years, but grabbed a quick lunch the other day. It isn’t the cheapest, but the vegan chili was just as I remembered it, and their fresh salad bar had tons of options. Man, that chili is good! Great place for a healthy lunch on the go if you work in the area or are passing through. Love a salad bar with beets, chickpeas, hard boiled eggs, lots of ways to get vegetarian protein and tons of flavor.

Fairly good selection of produce and dry goods. They have a nice café with a salad bar, smoothies, and other options.
Most times I go there the customer service isn’t superb. Usually the reactions I get from staff there are annoyed, tired, bored, and not wanting to help.

Every time I’m in Lansing I visit Better Health for a fresh juice and to grab some organic produce. It’s the only place in the area that I know of that has the best selection of organic groceries plus a hot bar for healthy good on the go and smoothies and fresh raw juices. I recommend calling the juice bar before you head over because sometimes the hours for that part of the store are a little different than the main grocery store part.

Use to love eating at the café, then after one lunch had a terrible case of food poisoning. I called the store to let them know so that no one else would suffer like I was and they totally dismissed it.
I still will purchase items in the store, but will NEVER eat anything in the café again. I feel that the food is not kept in the most sanitary conditions and/​or do not teach their staff best practices when it comes to food prep.

I liked going to Better Health for the organic bulk items, but, as with any health food store, you need to compare prices. For example, the same Cal-​organic onions in a bag at BH were at least $ 2 more than at Kroger when I shopped at both places today. However, the organic virgin coconut oil at BH (not the same brands) was a better price per ounce than Kroger by about $ 3.
Word to the wise — ALWAYS watch each item being rung up. The computer is never updated, so the price per pound is in error on at least 1 – 2 items every time I have gone in there. Interestingly, it always seems to be HIGHER than what it should be. I have been overcharged on every visit in the last 6 months since I started watching the items being rung up. Stop them right when you see the price per pound is ringing up wrong, otherwise, if you wait till the total is reached, you will have to wait about 15 – 20 minutes for a price adjustment. And think about it, if they overcharge every person all day, every day, they are making a fortune. Since this has happened to me on every visit, I rarely go to this store anymore.

I hate this store, but it smells better than the Kroger around the corner.
The have a large variety of products specifically targeted for individuals that think current grocery packaged goods and produce are tainted with evil and harmful chemicals. This is the type of place you go where you want to make yourself feel healthier because you’ve drank a special concoction of juices, teas, and homeopathic potions.
Overall, they do have a decent selection of products that can be difficult to find at your typical mega mart: large selection of gluten free products, nearly everything is organic, and their selection of vitamins and nutritional elixirs is impressive. Personally, I love coming here for the kombucha beer, real apple juice, and Newman O’s. However, I’m a skeptic of the whole homeopathic health market, which makes me question this place. But as stated above, it smells better than the Kroger around the corner; and it has a fresher selection of nearly everything, even if more limited.

Food is ok in the café but I refuse to go back. How can a store like this not have a gf bread option??? Also, the staff is so rude and cold. Overpriced food for what you get. Can’t wait for Whole Foods to come!

Great café & deli. The soups are always fresh and delicious. Also, try their Lattes… they’re excellent!

I really like shopping here. They have the best prices on health foods and natural/​organic products in town. Their bakery items are also quite tasty (you MUST try the gluten-​free coconut almond cookies). They have great monthly coupons, too.

This store has a reasonable variety of fresh, bulk, and packaged non-​CAFO and fair trade foods as well as a pretty good deli for a store this size, though I believe they evolved from a health supplements business, and that is still a major focus of the store.
Conveniently located near bus routes and has free parking.

I’ve been to Better Health Store 3 times now. It is easier to get to than Foods for Living, and near Kroger, which is where I typically shop.
The first 2 times I went to Better Health were unremarkable, not good, not bad. Today was my last time shopping at Better Health. The staff is rude. I think a Better Health Store shouldn’t only promote health through food but a positive environment. I didn’t experience any positive energy and was in fact, fighting negativity. I’m now a customer at Foods for Living. I’d rather drive the extra distance to have positive energy in my life.

Does this place advertise? I’ve driven past it countless times on the way to Kroger or somewhere and always assumed it was a vitamins-​n-​steroids kind of place. Then I happened to read in City Pulse or Noise a few months ago that Better Health was opening a coffee bar and realized that it was actually a local kind of Whole Foods Market.
And indeed, it does seem to be a kind of stripped-​down Whole Foods, with (as Ed C has already noted) fresh and packaged organic food, plus supplements, bath products etc.
But I buy local food, I go to the farmers’ markets and Green River Café, I know a few granola-​yoga people… and I still had no idea this place was on my back step. Weird. Well, I have been pretty busy lately. I guess this is why we need Unilocal,right?

Definitely the best organic/​natural grocery store in town. It’s cheaper than Foods for Living and also gives a 10% discount if you have a student ID.
Their selection is pretty good (Foods for Living does beat them on selection), but they have most major items that I need to buy from organic/​natural grocery stores. However, their produce selection leaves something to be desired, both in selection and in price.
They also have a good selection of natural healthy, beauty and cleaning supplies.

Finally a place that makes a killer smoothie!!!
My girl works in the café/​deli of Better Health Store, which is a Michigan health food market and I went there for lunch today. I had a «Little Havana» black bean and brown rice wrap with tomato, red onion, and avocado (mmm), a salad, and a multi-​berry/​spinach smoothie. The menu is big, the food was tasty, the staff is nice and they have an expanisve selection of organic and healthful goods in the store.
Great selection of wraps, sandwiches, and soups. I just wish their salad bar was a little more expansive.