Better Life Natural Foods

Story by Madeline Wilson | Photo by Zahn Schultz | Design by Lisa Yamakawa Reyes

It’s Thursday afternoon and you’ve just finished with classes for the day and are dreading the errands you need to run when you leave campus. Your first stop is to pick up a package from the UPS store on Main St. As you pull up, you notice that there is a bright blue sign that reads, “Natural Foods,” right across the road.

Intrigued, you decide to peek inside and see if there are any new snacks to buy for your next all-nighter study session. To your astonishment, there are a plethora of natural candies, chips and other snack items at your disposal.

The store you have just discovered, Better Life Natural Foods has been a part of the Ellensburg community for decades. Store manager and former CWU student Delana Carr explains that "it was actually owned by a couple of women in the late '60s [and then] we bought it in 1977."

Better ter Life Natural Foods has been a staple in the Ellensburg community for many years because even though the store underwent new ownership several times, the same products are always in-stock. People know that if they are craving their favorite fig bar or are in the mood for gluten-free pasta that night, they can rely on Delana to have what they need.

For some, Better Life Natural Foods is preferable to shopping at Fred Meyer or Safeway. According to Better Life employee Megan Gustafson, “Th ere’s more variety than [you’re] going to find at a regular grocery store … [and] we have tons of insight.”

Almost every employee has a dietary restriction that they have adapted to, simply because they are able to find products that suit their needs right where they work.

Whether you are in need of gluten-free products or you want to try being vegetarian, the Better Life Natural Foods staff can help with any questions you have. For example, Carr is a registered dietitian and can provide you with any nutrition information needed.

Even if you aren’t interested in trying new specialty health foods, they carry a range of other products from shampoo and conditioner, to every essential oil you could imagine. Former employee and current graduate student Megan Schwark explains that they carry products “that are … better for our bodies or our households [and] that don’t have chemicals.”

If you haven’t shopped for natural products before, it may be worth the five-minute trip downtown to see if any of their products pique your interest.

Being a college student, you may understand the struggle of learning how to budget for the first time. When you hear the phrase ‘natural foods’ you may automatically register that as pricey. However, according to sophomore Kendra Gardner, “Th eir products are not insanely expensive, and they are good products.”