What do you get when a small family of health enthusiasts share their expertise?
You get to reach your full health potential.
Our experience as healthy living advocates dates back to 1969, when LaVonne Braaten opened a Chicago health food store in offering an extensive stock of supplements and herbs, groceries and a famous juice bar. LaVonne passed her knowledge and experience down to her children, Kris and Maria. Kris and Maria were soon joined by a business partner and friend, Siniša, whose quality of life was completely transformed by LaVonne's curated products.
In late 2010, Chicago Health Foods was born in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast. Our small store has become the go-to place for fresh juice, healthy meals, natural body care, and for help and resources to find the best all natural supplement or vitamin for any need.
Our family has achieved optimal health naturally and we’re here to share how. Visit us if you're in the neighborhood, call or email us if you are far away. You can reach your full health potential — we can’t wait to help!
Our Philosophy, Our Promise, Our Products
The Chicago Health Foods supplements you find in our shop pass our strictest test of quality - we use them ourselves. Our products are certified organic and free of gluten, soy, wheat, corn, GMOs, artificial flavors, artificial colors and added sugar. Learn about our certifications here.
Meet Our Team
Kris |
Sinisa |
Maria |
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My background is in marketing and economics, but I learned about holistic health from my mother, LaVonne. When she retired in 1992, I took the reigns of her health food stores. After applying business savvy, I found smarter ways to educate the public about choosing a healthier lifestyle. Pretty soon my mother’s health food business had expanded to full-sized brick-and-mortar stores and boutique shops strictly emphasizing nutritional guidance. It’s satisfying to know that my customers benefit from the years of experience that me and my team have had in curating the Chicago Health brand of nutritional products. And when I’m not here at the store, I stay fit playing tennis. Prior to Chicago Health Food, I studied business administration and marketing, and worked as a strategic planner at two of Chicago's top advertising agencies building some of the world's premium brands (think Nike and Morgan Stanley). |
Prior to Chicago Health Food, I studied business administration and marketing, and worked as a strategic planner at two of Chicago's top advertising agencies building some of the world's premium brands (think Nike and Morgan Stanley). In 2006, my best friend, Kris, made me the general manager of his health food store. The next decade was revolutionary: I learned about natural ways to achieve optimal health and recover naturally. In 2011, I opened Chicago Health Foods with Kris' mom LaVonne. My passion for extending peak physical performance as an aging athlete has made me a go-to guy among some of the top Hollywood, NFL, NBA, MLB stars besides hundreds of Chicagoans. You might not know that Kris and I hold the current Chicago Indoor Tennis Association's championship title! We play second spot on the Midtown's men's open team, often beating teams half our age. |
I have been working for Chicago Health Foods since September 2014. If you’ve visited our shop in the past, I’m the bubbly, outgoing one who brightened your day! With years of experience in building management and HR, I contribute the knowledge I've gained to Chicago Health. My mother opened up her first health food store in 1969. You might imagine that as a kid, I didn’t like my mom’s organic, natural and raw foods. Quite the opposite. But I quickly learned something about health and nutrition: I learned that nobody wanted to trade my oatmeal molasses cookies for a ho-ho or cupcake. When I was growing up in Hyde Park, I was a member of the Chicago Children's Choir. During my free time, I still have a passion for music. |
Our Community
Every team member at Chicago Health gets involved in local charities. Together, we support:
Skyart, a nonprofit art center providing visual arts programming for Chicago's youth.
Heifer International, an organization which helps to end hunger and poverty.
Special Olympics, the world's largest sports organization for those with disabilities.
Sports can positively shape lives, as we’ve seen first hand by supporting Sinisa's sister-in-law, Ellen Lehman, a 4x special Olympian in basketball, softball, archery and bowling.
Thank you for shopping Chicago Health Food. We are committed to supporting and enriching our community.