I get very overwhelmed in commercial grocery stores. They are massive. I walk around in circles for what feels like hours before locating the few things that I need. I often find that there is no rhyme or reason to the layout of the mega-store and I get very confused. Customers push around their carts with their heads up, squinting their eyes to read the signs for each aisle. I get the feeling that I’m back in Times Square; and for those of you that don’t know, that is not a nice and relaxed feeling.

Food shopping should be an enjoyable experience. For a food lover like myself who seems to spend a lot of time in food stores, picking out produce and perusing aisles of an organized health food store is not only a learning experience, but a fun one, too. Call me strange, but it feels very therapeutic.

As a health-conscious vegetarian, I am always looking for new products and I like to know exactly what is in the food that I’m eating. I like to talk to employees of a store, ask them questions and get their opinions on said new products.

Since relocating to Bradley Beach, I’ve been in search of a local health food store. Welcome to Nature’s Corner Natural Market located in Spring Lake Heights on Route 71. This place is a gem; it has really changed my life since moving down here. I buy everything here. From apples to rice cheese to fish oil supplements, they have it all.

Established in 1995 by Ed Levy, who is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Nature’s Corner is a full service organic and natural food market. The owner and his entire staff are extremely knowledgeable about the health industry and take pride in their products and are always willing to help educate and inform each customer.

The market is flush with various diet-specific sections including: 100% organic, wheat and gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, cruelty-free, vegan and raw food.

They are stocked with over 40 lines of the highest quality brands in the industry. The store has an entire wall dedicated to supplements, from whole food multi-vitamins to homeopathic remedies. From herbal tinctures to vegan protein powders, they really have it all.

To make things even better, Nature’s Corner has their own line of supplements at great prices. Every first Thursday of each month, they offer amazing discounts on all of their branded supplements. As you may know, vitamins and other supplements can add up each month and be very costly, so this is extremely beneficial and I definitely take advantage of this offer.

Next, their produce section is by far the best around; it is extremely fresh, clean, diverse and organized. For example, they have various types of kale (like curly kale and lacinato kale), which as you know means a lot to me as I love kale and consume mass amounts of it.

They have an array of sprouts as well, such as crunchy sprouts, broccoli sprouts, bean sprouts, etc., which not many other stores have. Their fruit is fantastic and beautiful as well. Their entire produce supply is consistently fresh and clean and is all 100 percent organic and free of any pesticides or chemicals.

Nature’s Corner supports local New Jersey Organic Farmers. This is very important to me.

In addition to the store’s neatly stocked shelves and produce section, Nature’s Corner has both an awesome juice bar and salad bar. Serving fresh and organic juices, smoothies, coffee, freshly baked goods, wraps, sandwiches, soups, salads and vegan and raw deli items, Nature’s Corner is one of the only healthy and all-organic take-out spots in the area. You can find their menu on their website here.

This is new to me, but I just heard that Nature’s Corner offers FREE cooking classes right in their store. They teach customers how to cook vegan and vegetarian meals such as vegan veggie lasagna, gazpacho and vegan chocolate pudding. I will definitely be following up on new dates for these classes.

All in all, Nature’s Corner is an amazing little spot and I am so happy to have found it. The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgeable and they remember who you are and are always willing to help. I love the products they have in stock and am being introduced to a whole new world of vegetarian and organic foods and various other products.  

Unlike some other health food stores I’ve been in, Nature’s Corner is very reasonably priced. The store is fantastically organized, making it super easy to navigate through and find what you need. I highly recommend checking it out and making it your local go-to health food store as well.