Health-Food Idea Now Easier to Swallow

Time was, health-food stores drew alternative types interested in purchasing boxes of tigers’ milk cookies or bottles of strange elixirs from the mysterious East.

But no more.

“It used to be a select group who shopped in health-food stores,” said Russell Brisbois, assistant manager at Lassen’s Health Foods in Thousand Oaks. The Conejo Valley store is one of seven in the family-owned-and-operated chain started 15 years ago in Camarillo and now spread to Simi Valley, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks.

“Our shoppers aren’t just people with crystals and far-out ideas any more,” Brisbois said. “Today they’re more likely to be parents starting their kids off on good diets, or older people on special diets, and all ages who are into fitness.”

At Premiere Health Foods in Newbury Park, owner Trudi Hines sees a similar clientele.

“Health-food stores now get more respect from the media,” said Hines, whose husband, Jim, is co-owner. “It used to be that when people thought of health-food stores, they thought of flower children.”

Fortunately, she added, the public is more educated about diet and food today.

Like many health-food stores, Lassen’s and Premiere have gone in the full-service direction over the years. Some Lassen’s outlets carry a full line of fresh, often organic, produce. Both outlets have cafes that serve everything from the venerable smoothie to an oh-so-today organic, grilled chicken Caesar salad.

But not everything has changed. Health-food stores still focus on special diets, vitamins, herbs and supplements. And Lassen’s and Premiere have both watched trends in vitamins and supplements come, go, and sometimes stay during the 1990s. “Especially in weight loss,” Trudi Hines said. “Last year, it was high-carbo, low protein. This year, it’s the reverse.”

Brisbois sees the same at Lassen’s. “Currently, it’s the all-protein diet.”

Brisbois knows that whatever is discussed in the media “is likely to catch fire.” But he cautioned that that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for everyone.

Hines has similar advice. “Don’t just assume that if you buy it in a health-food store, it’s going to be healthy for you.”

And some things that seem like fads, aren’t.

“St. John’s Wort is still popular, and I think it’s a wonderful herb--it does work,” Hines said.

Cindy Larson, Lassen’s full-time nutrition consultant, added that St. John’s Wort is, in fact, not new. “We’ve carried it a long time,” she said.

Hines does want to pass on a couple of tips. “Try valerian root--it is a popular choice for insomniacs, and I also recommend trying ginger root for motion sickness.”

Hines also has her favorite drink at the lunch counter. “The green smoothie. It’s got all the greens that have chlorophyll.”

Probably the biggest trend at Lassen’s right now is in kids’ nutrition, she said.

“Parents want to get their children started on natural diets to help them avoid fast-food addiction,” she said.

Toward that end, Lassen’s in-store cafe features organic pizzas, ice cream, veggie hot dogs, hamburgers and potato chips.

“We even have healthy Easter candy,” Larson said.