225BatonRouge.com

It wasn’t always easy to find beet greens in Baton Rouge.

“I used to have to go to several grocery stores and the few health food stores that were open to gather everything I needed,” says Al Himel. “I was doing a lot of juicing back then.”

That was 20 years ago, when Himel and other committed “health nuts” turned to small shops with tiny stocks of organic produce and natural foods. The movement, inspired by health gurus Jack La Lanne and Paul Bragg, was gaining traction locally. Himel worked at the health food store Living Foods, and a few years later bought Our Daily Bread, another healthy oasis on Florida Boulevard. Since then, he’s watched what used to be quintessential hippie culture become mainstream.

Today Baton Rouge shoppers not only have a sprawling Whole Foods Market, but substantial organic and natural foods sections within stores like Target, Albertsons and Wal-Mart.

That hasn’t slowed down Our Daily Bread or other local shops like it, which offer loyal patrons tidy niches and one-on-one help.

“We can give our customers personal service. We know their names,” says Nelly Manning, longtime manager of Living Foods No. 1, which got its start in 1980 as a one-room vitamin shop on Perkins Road.

Vitamins, nutritional supplements and gluten- or wheat-free groceries are a big niche for smaller health food stores. Because people often need help selecting the right product, they gravitate to small shops for assistance, Manning says.

“We have a lot of customers who come in with a health issue or food allergy. They may say they’re stressed or have low energy or they can’t tolerate a certain food and they’re looking for guidance,” she says.

Himel adds the popularity of herbs over the years has introduced brands into the market whose effectiveness may be compromised. He and his staff spend time checking out manufacturers, even visiting facilities, to ensure their herbs are high quality, he says.

Our Daily Bread and Living Foods also have developed thriving lunch businesses through small delis. “People might come in to buy a supplement, and they realize it’s lunch time and they head for the deli to pick up a sandwich or daily special,” says Manning.

Our Daily Bread’s mostly vegetarian deli features fare like black bean soup, avocado and cheese sandwiches, smoothies and salads using fresh greens, sprouts and organic produce. Himel says his customers either work in the neighborhood or are concerned about what they eat.

The place also carries signature breads, baked daily on the premises. The recipes for Our Daily Bread’s familiar loaves, which also are distributed to other local health food and grocery stores, were developed originally by the store’s first owner after it opened in 1982. Himel expanded the recipes over the years. There are several varieties, including whole-wheat mainstay, three-seed barley, whole-wheat applesauce, Italian veggie herb and more. Our Daily Bread also makes organic, whole-wheat granola bars, cinnamon rolls, cookies, muffins and quick breads.

Manning says even though larger competitors have caught the attention of customers, many of them are returning for personal service. Himel points out that the vast choices and lower pricing often makes patrons ask about the true healthfulness of certain brands.

“Manufacturers want to appeal to everyone, so to get something on the shelf cheaper, a product today may have more white flour and refined sugar,” he says. “Organic has become the buzz word, but you can still eat the same, unrefined, low-fiber diet—except that it’s organic—that led to the rise of health food stores in the first place.”