Best Online Health Food Stores

Best Overall: Vitacost

Key Specs

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Why We Chose It

Vitacost has it all—pantry items, snacks, nutritional supplements, reasonable prices, and frequent sales—in one site that’s incredibly easy to navigate.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Free shipping option
Frequent sales and discounts
Easy to find products
Auto-delivery available

Cons
Some standard grocery store items

Overview

Vitacost started out selling nutritional supplements and organic products via catalog. Now It's a titan of the virtual health food industry, as it's owned by Kroger and is a one-stop destination for health supplements, beauty and wellness products, and just about anything else imaginable.

Yet even with about 40,000 products available, Vitacost’s extremely shoppable site makes ordering a no-brainer. Only want organic products? There's a filter for that. Avoiding GMOs? Those items are easy to find too.

If you want only vitamins or snacks, for example, the everything-under-the-sun experience of Vitacost may be too much for you. (And it’s all too easy to get sucked in adding impulse items to your order so you can qualify for free shipping.) Plus, some products (Lysol cleaner, Advil capsules) are exactly what you’d find at any mainstream store in America, so if you prefer not to even see those as options, go for another service.

Vitacost’s prices are incredibly reasonable, and you’ll encounter frequent sales and discounts on products. Place one-time orders or set up an account for quick reorders; you can even set up auto-delivery if you don’t want to bother tweaking subsequent orders. Shipping costs vary by location, but orders of at least $49 receive free shipping to the continental U.S.

Best for Organic Groceries: Misfits Market

Key Specs

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Why We Chose It

By working directly with organic growers and taking excess or barely blemished produce, Misfits Market connects you with terrific savings on quality foods.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Eco-conscious packaging
Helps to reduce food waste

Cons
Some items could use better packaging

Overview

Misfits Market is known for taking fresh, wholesome produce that traditional grocery stores would reject for being imperfect and sending it to customers every week at reasonable prices. And it only sources certified organic produce, so there’s no nitpicking on your end: Just set up your account, select the items for your box, and get regular deliveries of fresh fruits, veggies, and more.

Boxes are fully customizable, so you can add any number of items from the online store's inventory—a list that includes produce, pantry items, and even proteins. There is a $35 minimum per box, and a flat rate shipping fee starts at $6.99 per order depending on location.

Misfits Market strives to provide the most low-impact packaging possible, using compostable plant-based bags instead of plastic bags.

Note: We love Misfits Market's mission and what it stands for, but keep in mind that the produce it ships isn't perfect.

Best Membership Option: Thrive Market

Key Specs

• Diets Catered to:
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Why We Chose It

Combining positive environmental and social intentions with an easily shoppable model, Thrive Market takes the fuss out of shopping with discounted house brands, auto-shipping options, and tons of filters.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Sustainable meat and seafood options
Auto-shipping
Ability to shop by diets/preferences
Supports charitable causes

Cons
Requires email address to see details
Membership can turn away some shoppers

Overview

If minimal hassle for maximum goodness is what you’re after, check out Thrive Market, a members-only online store that delivers products to you—and passes the savings along, too.

Thrive Market is a certified B corporation, showing its commitment to sustainability through eco-friendly packaging and careful product sourcing. It also gives to the community through programs like Thrive Gives, which provides free membership to homes in need for every paid annual membership.

Start by taking a quick quiz to personalize your experience. You can filter products by diet (paleo, vegan, etc.) as well as non-GMO, organic, and more. Membership is offered on a yearly basis for $59.95 or a monthly basis for $12. Shop through its app or website and enjoy access to the same variety of meat and seafood, snacks, groceries, household items, and supplements you’d find at a brick-and-mortar store, and enjoy savings on house-branded items as well.

Shipping on grocery orders over $49 is free, while orders under that have $5.95 flat-rate shipping. For frozen orders, shipping is free on orders over $120 and $19.95 for orders under that. Wine orders over $79 have free shipping, but orders under that have $13.95 flat-rate shipping. The auto-ship option allows you to set up recurring shipments of your essentials at the frequency that works best for you, and you'll receive discounts on selected items too.

Best for Supplements: The Vitamin Shoppe

Key Specs

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Why We Chose It

The Vitamin Shoppe focuses on selling vitamins and supplements both on its website and in its hundreds of stores nationwide.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Live customer support chat
Auto-delivery option
Online glossary of supplements

Cons
Website is a bit busy visually

Overview

This is the same Vitamin Shoppe you may know from their 700-plus stores across the country. It sells the same supplements, aromatherapy, medicinal herbs, performance snacks, and beauty products online as you’d find in the shops.

Because it specializes in supplements, The Vitamin Shoppe can offer personalized recommendations and a broader knowledge base on the ins and out of supplements than most online health food stores. How do you get maximum vitamin D absorption from your capsule? What’s a good starting dose for melatonin? When you have questions, ask its live "Health Enthusiasts" via chat for help. You can also check the site's online glossary for quick clarification.

The company's Healthy Awards loyalty program lets shoppers accrue spending points to redeem for discounts. Those who spend a lot on supplements may even qualify for free nutrition coaching. Auto-delivery is handy, fuss-free, and allows you to save an additional 10%.

Best for Snacks: NatureBox

Key Specs

• Diets Catered to:
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Why We Chose It

NatureBox curates tasty, wholesome snacks to help you stay fueled during the day.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Delicious selection of snacks
CBD and adaptogen products available
Regular infusions of snacks for minimum effort

Cons
More expensive than other online stores
Small servings

Overview

If you’re a serial grazer, NatureBox will keep your nibbling both exciting and healthy. The options for snacks are ever-shifting and overwhelming, so NatureBox does the thinking for you. All of its snacks are free of artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors. Items include dried fruit, snack mixes, cookies, granola bars, chips, and crackers, plus breakfast options and coffee.

Use the filters to browse snacks that are gluten-free, low in sugar, high in fiber, and more. Don’t feel like messing with that? Try the company's snack boxes, which include the Allergen-Free Box and a Less-Stress Box. Box contents vary from time to time to keep the selection fresh. If you prefer predictability, you can order à la carte.

Members ($36 per year) earn credit and get discounts on products. Individual snacks start at $7.49, and snack boxes are $35.99 to $119.99. The snacks can be a little steep compared to what you’d pay for the same amount elsewhere, but if you value convenience and pre-portioning, NatureBox will likely appeal to you.