2025 Natural Grocers Sustainability Report

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Nutrition Education

We believe that access to reliable, science-based nutrition information is a cornerstone of health and wellbeing: that is why Nutrition Education is one of our Five Founding Principles. By providing free nutrition education, we empower our customers, our Crew and our communities to make informed choices that support healthy lifestyles. This commitment reflects our dedication to fostering a culture of healthy empowerment. To bring this commitment to life, we have a full-time Nutritional Health Coach (NHC) position in every store, setting us apart from our peers. NHCs are passionate, credentialed experts who offer free, one-on-one coaching, educational classes, and personalized shopping support—not just for customers, but for Crew members too.

Studies show that offering nutrition education in a trusted, convenient setting—like a grocery store—removes barriers to access and encourages real time application of healthier nutritional choices. By integrating education where decisions happen, we empower customers to turn heart of our Nutrition Education program. Through complimentary, personalized nutritional coaching and in-store guidance, they equip customers with the knowledge and confidence to make more informed, health conscious purchasing decisions— transforming grocery shopping into a powerful step toward lifelong wellness. knowledge into action. 1,2,3 This is why NHCs are at the

1. Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Health Disparities: State of the Science, Research Gaps and OpportunitiesAngela Odoms-Young1 ∙ Alison G.M. Brown2 alison.brown@nih.gov ∙ Tanya Agurs-Collins3 ∙ Karen Glanz4 https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)66352-X/fulltext 2. Jung, S., Shin, Y., et al. (2019). Grocery store tour education program promotes fruit and vegetable consumption. Public Health Nutr., 22(14):2662-2669. doi: 10.1017/ S1368980019001630 3. Lewis, K., Roblin, D., et al. (2015). The personal shopper – a pilot randomized trial of grocery store-based dietary advice. Clin Obes, 5(3):154-161 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/25873139/

8

NATURAL GROCERS ® | SUSTAINABILITY REPORT