Back in March, a few of my favorite bloggers were all at Expo West. Expo West is the largest natural, organic, and healthy products trade show in the world. It’s held in Anaheim, CA and I knew right away I needed to attend. After some quick internet searching, I learned there is also an Expo East held in Baltimore each year! Jackpot.
There are over 1,300 vendors at Expo East each year and most of the natural and organic food companies offer samples at each of their booths. We’re talking Costco on steroids here, people.
All joking aside, the expo is a great place to see up-and-coming vendors and check out their products. A lot of vendors showcase their soon-to-be-released items so it’s a great way to see what’s going to be in stores soon. Here are my highlights from this year’s show!
You’ve heard me wax poetic about Califia Farms Better Half Creamer already and I was so happy to see them at the show. They set up a coffee bar and you could sample all of their creamers on the show floor as well as their other beverages.
I have been hearing rave reviews about Kite Hill almond milk cheese for a few months now and their products did not disappoint. Their entire line is plant-based and delicious. If you’re dairy-free, you need some Kite Hill in your life.
As someone who tries to eat mostly gluten-free, I love a good almond flour cracker. These crackers by Simple Mills are great and are a really clean option for those looking to cut out weird fillers from their food. They have several cracker flavors, baking mixes, and frosting.
I get it, vegan cheese just sounds weird. But I promise these cheeses from Miyokos Kitchen are great! Their Mt. Vesuvius Black Ash cheese was a favorite as well as their Aged English Sharp Farmhouse cheese.
I am always on the hunt for a cleaner, sugar-free granola. Do you know how hard it is to find a sugar-free granola? Well, my search has ended with Wildway! I hope to do a longer write-up about Wildway in an upcoming post but their grain-free granola is legit.
Forager Project makes dairy-free yogurts that are cashew based. They also make nut milks, juices, and chips. Their unsweetened plain yogurt and their unsweetened cashew milk are two of my new favorite dairy-free products.
In case you are dairy-free and you also need a nut-free option, this So Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt is for you. The coconut flavor is not strong at all and could easily be mixed into smoothies or topped with granola.
I love New Barn Almond Milk and I was pleased to see they’ve come out with a Barista Blend. The Barista Blend does have sugar in it, but New Barn is the cleanest almond milk on the market. I love their unsweetened almond milk. You’ll be able to find the Barista Blend anywhere that brews Allegro coffee.
For the last few months I’ve been making my own mayo, but if you’d rather not go that route, this Primal Kitchen mayo is a great choice. It’s sugar, gluten, dairy, soy & canola oil free. They also have a chipotle version which is awesome.
I hadn’t heard of Rebbl before the expo but I must have been living under a rock. They have six elixirs which are all coconut milk-based. I tried all six and they were all really tasty. I think my favorite is the turmeric golden milk; it tastes like a variation of chai.
Veggie Noodle Co makes spiralized noodles out of sweet potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, and beets. They are fresh and super convenient, perfect for those days when you want something quick and healthy.
Spindrift makes sparkling water flavored with real fruit juice and they released their new blackberry flavor at the show. I love sparkling water and Spindrift is a great choice. It’s already sold in Target and Trader Joe’s so be on the lookout!
This was hands-down one of my favorite finds at Expo East. Eating Evolved makes paleo chocolate. It’s made from organic cacao, organic coconut sugar, and organic cacao butter. Their almond sea salt is their most popular and it was my favorite as well. I also really enjoyed their coconut butter cups.
This is Abby of Abby’s Better Nut Butter. She is 16 and started her own nut butter company after desiring a more healthy alternative to peanut butter. Can you say wow? She was so delightful, her nut butters are delicious, and I look forward to seeing her business grow. I’m a big fan, Abby!
This was another paleo chocolate find and I cannot wait to get my hands on more Hu Kitchen chocolate. My favorite is their Cashew Butter Chocolate Bar.
Expo East was all that I’d hoped it would be and more. I got to connect with some awesome brands and sample some of their amazing products. I’m excited for the future of the natural and organic food world. My hope is that more people begin to take an interest in what they’re putting into their bodies and start supporting brands like the ones I’ve mentioned here.
Do you have any questions for me? Have you tried products from any of the brands I highlighted here?