"Taking vitamins doesn't have to be a hard pill to swallow."

Lori's Stories: alternaVites

alternaVites easy to swallow multivitamins are available from Lori's Earth Friendly Products.

Being the third generation of vitamin formulators, manufacturers, and marketers, Hallie Rich (photo, right) was regularly asked one question: "What vitamins do you take?"

Her surprising answer? "None. I can't swallow pills."

This put her in an awkward position. She had to admit to everyone that she couldn’t benefit from the vitamins that she not only spent years promoting, but also passionately believed in. While she wasn’t experiencing any of the benefits of taking vitamins, she was also very aware that vitamins can’t help if you can’t take them.

For many years, Hallie worked alongside her father and grandmother, where she learned all aspects of their business. Sadly, her father was diagnosed with cancer and despite a heroic fight, he passed away in 2008. Shortly after that, the company's doors shut.

Following her father's passing, Hallie entered a vitamin store as a consumer for the first time and acknowledged the fact that her body needed nutritional support. But since she was unable to swallow pills, her options were limited. Hallie couldn't find a product that had all the nutritional aspects she needed in non-pill form. It suddenly hit Hallie that there was a huge need for a daily vitamin for people just like her.

It turns out she has plenty of company: Over 40% of Americans have difficulty swallowing pills (according to the Society for the Advancement of Education). Hallie was motivated to create a new product, made for those who want to take vitamins, but can't because of the limited options available.

In 2010, she introduced alternaVites, a comprehensive Kosher multivitamin and mineral in crystal powder form that melts quickly in your mouth – the first of its kind. alternaVites quickly became the definitive "non pill" vitamin option and filled an unnecessary void in the market. It was awarded Best New Product 2012 by Vitamin Retailer. 

With its success, it became clear to Hallie that alternaVites is a product that’s great for everybody, not just those of us who have difficulty swallowing pills. Its convenience, delicious taste, portability, and high potency formula give it much broader appeal.

While a children’s product was always part of the plan, Hallie and her team were overwhelmed with requests to develop an alternaVites formula that would be suitable for kids. Understandably, parents were equally as unhappy with the choices available for their children as they were for themselves. They were disappointed in products with high sugar content, incomplete formulas, and artificial ingredients. She developed alternaVites Kids, a children’s multivitamin and mineral supplement that has awesome kid-approved flavors while maintaining the integrity, quality and versatility associated with the original alternaVites formula.

With alternaVites, Hallie has eliminated the excuses of adults and children not to take the daily dosage of vitamins, even if they don't swallow pills. Rich Vitamins, LLC, the parent company of alternaVites, donates a portion of every box that's sold to cancer charities in memory of Hallie's father.

Lori's Earth Friendly Products is proud to carry alternaVites.