Twice a year, the New Hope Network puts on the largest natural foods conference; one is on the east coast (Expo East) and one on the west coast (Expo West). Thousands of companies come together in one convention center and debut what is new and exciting with their brands. It helps connect them to different retailers, vendors, distributors, bloggers and influencers. These Expos really have the power to help bring different brands and companies to the next level. They also serve as a really fun way for bloggers and influencers to network and meet other people in the same industry.
I have been fortunate enough to attend the last three conventions and get a first glimpse of what is coming down the pipeline from some of my favorite natural products companies. It is a blast to meet the faces behind the brands and get to try out their new offerings. There are samples everywhere, thousands of booths, and a whole lot of foodies. This past month, I attended Expo West 2019 in Anaheim, California. I cannot wait to share all of the scoop with you guys!
From a trends perspective, CBD, collagen and turmeric are definitely being used in a wide variety of products in the industry. They all have incredible benefits for you, but it seemed like there was product overload in these areas. There are so many amazing products and companies out there, but I definitely recommend doing your research before purchasing any. Sometimes, it really is easiest to stick with what you know and not over complicate. Simply because I choose to use or purchase something, absolutely does not mean that you need to. With that being said, here are some of my top favorite finds at Expo this year!
Kite Hill
Kite Hill Foods is one of my favorite brands that carries dairy-free cheese alternatives. My long time favorite has been the chive flavored almond milk cream cheese. They launched a few new exciting products this year: everything bagel almond milk cream cheese, strawberry flavored almond milk cream cheese, and dairy-free, ricotta filled tortellini! The tortellini was incredible and they had it prepared in an olive oil and garlic based sauce with peas. I definitely plan on remaking this soon, as I have already spotted the tortellini in my local Whole Foods! If you are gluten-free, unfortunately, the tortellini is not gluten free.
Siete Family Foods
Siete Foods has one of the most friendly and fun brands out there. I always love running into the team at different shows and events. This year, they debuted their new grain free taco shells and sprouted bean dip! If you are not familiar with the brand, they offer great grain-free alternatives for Mexican-inspired cooking. From their grain free tortillas, to their incredible vegetable based hot sauce line, they really have it all. They keep continue to come out with exciting new products and I cannot wait for more!
Chosen Foods
Chosen Foods is one of my long time favorite companies that sells healthy cooking oils. I always use their avocado oil and avocado oil sprays to cook because they are high quality and have a higher smoke point than most other oils. They recently launched their line of 9 flavored avocado oil sprays! My favorite flavor is definitely the garlic, and they have other fun ones like dill and citrus pepper. Chosen Foods is also coming out with a guacamole and an avocado spread which I am super excited about.
Wildbrine
Wildbrine has been known in the natural products industry for their kraut and fermented products. They stole the show this year with their new plant based bries and butter. The brie was extremely authentic to traditional brie in regards to the rind. It tasted great and will come in three flavors: classic, shiitake and beet. Their plant based butter was also amazing; I’m super excited that there is now another clean, vegan butter out there. All of their new products that they debuted are also cultured. This may have been one of my favorite samplings at the show!
Simple Mills
Simple Mills has incredible grain free baking mixes, cookies, crackers, etc. and this year they added an incredible brownie mix to their line! It tastes super fudgy and very similar to a regular brownie. I’m looking forward to enjoying a batch soon with some dairy free ice cream!
New Barn Organics
New Barn is an awesome brand that sells a variety of almond milks and almond milk based ice creams. This year at the show, they sampled their new almond based dips with great ingredients and even better flavors! My favorite was definitely the habanero. They would be a great option for those who do not eat chickpeas as a hummus replacement. I eat chickpeas, and plan to be buying lots of these dips!
Georgia Grinders
Near, dear, and extremely close to my heart, Georgia Grinders came out with Hazelnut butter that is just plain perfect. The only ingredients are slow roasted hazelnuts and sea salt; clean and simple – just how I like it. I actually attended Expo West with Georgia Grinders as the new Full Time Digital Media Manager! This hasn’t quite been discussed on my page yet, so if you’re reading this, you’re the first to know! I’m beyond excited for this new leap of faith in my career and am thrilled to work alongside a brand that values a commitment to quality and simplicity as much as I do.
Sir Kensington’s
Sir Kensington’s has a fabulous line of condiments and dressings that they recently expanded to include flavored balsamic vinegars! I was able to try them out at the show on top of some vegetables and they were great. Vegetables are definitely a rare find at the show so I totally appreciated these samples. My favorite one was the Dijon Balsamic, but they all have really unique and delicious flavors.
Miyoko’s
Miyoko’s is another one of my favorite dairy free cheese and butter companies. I use their mozzarella frequently as it definitely melts a lot easier than other vegan cheeses I have tried. The product pictured above was my new favorite. It is the Biergarten Garlic Chive cheese and it is absolutely to die for, especially on pretzels. They also debuted their new line of cheeses which are completely nut free and made with a base of sweet potatoes. Miyoko’s did not have any official packaging out yet, but I am excited to see them on shelves soon! The nut-free cheeses tasted incredible and I assume they will melt just as easily as their other offerings.
Chameleon Cold Brew
Oat milk in my lattes has to be one of my favorite morning treats ever. Chameleon Cold Brew is making that a lot easier by combining their organic cold brew with organic oat milk in the bottles pictured above. They will come in a couple flavors and they all taste great!
Birch Benders
My love for Birch Benders pancake mix runs deep, and I was so excited that they expanded their line to include syrups! Their syrups are sweetened with monk fruit and have added MCTs in them. Birch Benders also launched a plant based and a Keto pancake mix. Both were delicious and will have a frozen boxed waffle to accompany them. My favorite mix is still the Paleo pancake mix and the Paleo frozen waffles, but I think it is super awesome that they are expanding to meet the needs of so many consumers. Yay!
Hu Kitchen
Hu Kitchen is coming out with Paleo chocolate chips! They are called Gems and are absolutely perfect for all of your Paleo baking needs. I’m really pumped about this as I will no longer have to chop their bars up for baking. As far as the bars go, they launched a delicious Earl Grey Cashew Butter Chocolate bar. They were sampling their Orange Dream Vanilla Cashew Butter and Cashew Butter and Raspberry Jelly bars which launched last fall at Expo East. Hu Kitchen is definitely one of my favorite Paleo chocolate companies out there. Make sure check out their storefront in New York City if you ever have the chance. Rumor has it there may be a new location soon… stay tuned!
PS. They are also launching grain free crackers! Be on the lookout on their Instagram page and website.
Taste Republic
Taste Republic has an amazing line of fresh, gluten-free pastas. You can find their pastas in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I get mine at my local Whole Foods and Sprouts. Some of their pastas are paleo/grain-free, and they just added cauliflower linguine to the line. It is just as delicious as their other pastas and I’m thrilled about this awesome grain-free pasta option! All of their pastas only take a few minutes to cook which is when you really know that they are fresh. The pastas are also available on their website, but the cauliflower linguine is currently sold out.
Banza
Banza was sampling their delicious new chickpea rice. I’ve posted about it a lot on my feed and in my stories, but it is always great to see the friendly faces behind this brand. They were sampling a fried rice recipe with their rice that I will definitely be recreating soon!
Mother Raw
Another one of my favorite brands that I found at Expo was Mother Raw. They offer a line of extremely clean dressings and dips. All of their products are made with a base of extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Mother Raw sells an awesome plant based, nut-free queso, too! I loved all of the dressings, but the Caesar and the Maple Fig were two of my top choices. Check out this brand for simple, good for you products that can really help elevate your meals.
Eating Evolved
The delicious Paleo chocolate brand, Eating Evolved, is also coming out with Paleo baking chips! One of my favorite products of their’s is their cashew milk chocolate bar, so I am excited that they are launching cashew milk chocolate chips as well. Eating Evolved is expanding their line of Paleo coconut butter cups to include nut butter cups. The inside of these new cups are filled with either almond or cashew butter and are absolutely delicious. All of the ingredients for their new cups are just as clean as the one’s found in their other products!
Hilary’s Eat Well
My favorite veggie burger company, Hilary’s, came out with a new grain-free super cauliflower burger. It is definitely my new favorite item of their’s. The new burgers really remind me of a potato pancake and are super comforting. I can’t wait for these to hit the shelves soon.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
My absolute favorite ice cream company, Jeni’s Ice Cream, launched three new amazing dairy free flavors! The came out with Roasted Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly (my favorite), Cold Brew with Coconut Cream, and Texas Sheet Cake. They are all so amazing and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how they turned out! If you live near a Jeni’s Ice Cream Shop, the new dairy free flavors are available there now.
Bonafide Provisions
Bonafide Provisions came out with incredible Keto broths, and the one with lemon, turmeric, coconut and MCT oils was to die for. I think I went by their booth everyday to snag a cup. I’ve been a longtime fan of their clean, nourishing broths and this new Keto focused launch surely did not disappoint. Bonafide also did a beautiful packaging re-brand which will be in stores soon!
Soozy’s Grain Free
Soozy’s has incredible, grain-free muffins that can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. I get mine at my local Kroger, and they can be found at any of the Kroger brand stores. They came out with grain-free DONUTS this year which tasted just as amazing as their muffins.
Naturally Clean Eats
When I make a bar recommendation, you know it it means that I really love them because I am not the biggest bar girl. I absolutely loved the bars from Naturally Clean Eats; they are clean, vegan, gluten-free, and most importantly they do not require refrigeration. The owner, Jessica, could not be sweeter which is always a plus! She sells delicious flavors like Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookie dough and just recently came out with a new Oatmeal Raisin bar which launches in May. Her packaging is stunning and I can’t wait to bring these with me on the go.
Vital Farms
The Vital Farms brand is truly an awesome one to me as they are super transparent with their practices, their mission, etc. I am pumped that they are launching a Ghee butter as it is something that I highly enjoy cooking with. The new ghees are definitely going to be as stellar as the rest of their line!
Culina Yogurt
Another one of my favorite Expo finds was the dairy free yogurt from Culina Yogurt. Their delicious plant based yogurt is sold in mini plant pots which is super environmentally friendly and could not be cuter. It is hard to come across a creamy, delicious plant based yogurt and Culina completely nailed it. Culina’s flavors are: Plain and Simple, Bourbon Vanilla, Strawberry Rose, and Blueberry Lavender. They are super unique and I’m so excited that I will be able to purchase these in Sprouts soon!
Fourth and Heart
The current ghee brand that I use and love, Fourth and Heart, launched a new turmeric ghee and it is delicious. They also launched ghee-based protein bars which were great. I had never tried their chocolate ghees before, but I will now definitely be purchasing them going forward. Yum!
Beanfield’s
Beanfields carries a line of delicious bean-based chips with awesome flavors. I love the texture of their chips and they are definitely quite addicting. On top of their already amazing line, they debuted their new flavors at the show that are made with a base of white beans. The chips are a little lighter and come in Salt and Vinegar, Spicy Queso, Himalayan Pink Salt, Jalapeno Lime and Cheddar.
I hope you enjoyed! If you have any specific questions about any of the products or companies listed, please do not hesitate to reach out!
xo,
Cori
