One of our favorite things to do is to share with you all of our favorite foodie products. After being diagnosed gluten intolerant, it was hard to find delicious things we could eat~ mainly because eleven years ago they didn’t have the flours, grains, knowledge, etc. we have today to make gluten free products taste so good. And not just gluten free, but also dairy free, soy free, nut free, grain free, vegan, and more!
We hadn’t been to the Natural Products Expo in a couple of years, so were super excited to go! Even though it had been awhile, we knew it was going to be long days given how many food manufactures exhibit at Expo West’s trade show. That is why we went with a plan. We made lists of our favorite brands and products we had to see, but also left plenty of time on the second day to find new products. Because with hundreds to thousands of vendors, you always run into new and yummy things!
It was amazing how we maneuvered through the show seeing our old favorite manufacturers and found so many new incredible foods that we get to share with you!
What we saw trending at Expo West 2017
- Gluten Free continues to be a big one. Although this had been a trend for a while, it was still very much in the forefront. New companies and even well known larger companies jumped into the game creating gluten free options. We loved seeing how the companies are now embracing gluten free food ~ which means more goodies for us!
- Vegan foods are on the rise. So many new products even the non-vegan would enjoy.
- Flavored Coconut oils~ garlic, buttery, ginger flavors. These will be fun to cook with.
- Sprouted grains and ancient grains were buzz words on packaging. Which is great, because we know that sprouted foods are easier to digest.
- Super-foods ~ reishi, maca, matcha green tea, turmeric, chia seeds, flax seeds, vitamins and mineral enriched powders, elixirs, and more… These were infused into lots of products we found throughout the show.
- Probiotics, Prebiotics, vinegars, fermented food, gut friendly additions were being added especially to juices, drinks, and kids snack foods (loved Suja’s and Bragg’s).
- Bone broth. We saw many pre-packaged bottles of broth (think pressed juice, but bone broth), ready to serve, hot or cold! We personally LOVE bone broth. We have multiple recipes on how to make this, one including a longer recipe video showing you how to make super rich broth that cooks for up to 12 hours or more. Get our recipe HERE!
- Paleo and grain free alternatives were prevalent. Large companies we love ~ Pamela’s and Bobs Red Mills ~ created grain free flours for baking.
- Dairy free alternatives. There were a plethora of nut milks, nut cheeses, beverages, sauces, dressings, spreads, etc.
- SO many green organic logos were spotted around the expo. If you know us, then you know we are huge supporters of organic produce and products. Navigating “organic” can be tricky however, because even though brands and farmers are certified organic, they can still use chemicals in their products. This is why we feel so strongly about coming to expo, meeting the brands, the manufacturers and getting to know the integrity of the products we use.
- Coffees and Cold Brews. Consciously sourced, harvested, imported, and crafted. These drinks were all over the expo.
- Raw Cacao. Who loves chocolate?! WE DO! Maybe we noticed it because we are obsessed… however there were many high quality, delicious tasting, chocolate treats J And tons of delicious new ways manufacturers are adding this luscious food into many products.
But enough chatting, lets get to the dish!! Some of our favorites were the usual suspects, but also some newer brands we can’t imagine life without now.
We cannot express how difficult pairing down this list was… We truly could go on and on and on about all the food we tasted! There are so many other products we tried, and loved, but this post would have gotten waaayyyy too long.
SO, we each picked our top 10 (which of course turned into 11) to give you the 22 highlights of our Expo taste testing. You can find most of these at your local Whole Foods Market, Amazon, Thrive, and other grocery stores.
(FYI, this is not a sponsored post!! We are sharing just our favorites. Additionally, we are not listing these in order of our favorites, but in order that we saw them)
- Pamela’s Products came out with new line of “on the go” bars Matcha Green with caffeine, and an amazingly delicious mac’n cheese for those “starving with no time to cook” nights.
- Siete has been on our radar for a few months now, and we are SO grateful for their insanely delicious grain free CLEAN tortillas and chips. YES!!!
- Primal Kitchen paleo products introduced us to their avocado oil/based creamy Caesar and ranch dressings, and we are currently obsessing over (if you watched our Instagram stories the past week, then you have witnessed megs licking her bowl clean).
- Beyond Meat has their new Burger Patties that could fool even the most loyal of meat eaters. Their clever In-n-Out style burger line was the hottest spot at expo!
- Cappellos grain free pizzas sheep milk cheese were INSANE as were their vegan cookies! The owner Ben is not only adorable, but also awesome. His company is thinking beyond gluten free, and focusing on grain free, dairy free, and other high allergens.
- Explore Cuisine are products we use regularly, especially during our cleanse classes. Their black bean noodles are our favorite. With their new pre-cooked mung bean fettuccine noodles coming out, we are excited to share even easier to prepare family favorite recipes!
- Califia Farms almond milk products are a staple in Meg’s fridge. Their new cold brew and coffee mixed drinks were delicious. Sometimes cold brew coffees can be too strong for Megs, but theirs don’t leave her feeling jittery, and they aren’t too sweet either. Especially the Nitro Cold Brew.
- Kite Hill we are obsessed. Honestly. We currently are in love with their entire line of soft almond cheeses. We crumble them like feta onto our salads and the ricotta, well no one will ever no the difference. Did I hear lasagna?
- REBBL their elixirs and proteins drinks, in particular the Matcha Green Tea Latte, Turmeric Golden Milk, and Reishi Chocolate drinks, are stables in both our fridge. We love using them as the base of our smoothies in the morning. They also are great afternoon pick me up!
- Simple Mills these almond flour crackers are legit. If you have not tried them yet, do yourself a favor and go buy a box. Like, now! They are crisp, packed with flavor, the right amount of salt… great for dipped, snacking, or crumbling up as “breadcrumb fillings” in burgers too! Amazing flavor!
- COYO Australian coconut yogurts taste just like Greek yogurt, but dairy free. Thick consistency with that tangy tart flavor. Pegs is so in love with them, she kissed the men working the booth!
- Follow Your Heart Pegs is currently obsessed with their large soft tortillas, and block cheeses that melt so wonderfully for dairy free recipes.
- Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free heritage loaves one would think is a “non” gluten full normal sized slice of bread. They don’t even need toasting! Newly diagnosed gluten-freers, especially kids, are going to love this.
- Jovial pastas, glass jar beans, olive oils, and more… we are obsessed with their Italian made products. So much so, we are going to the Jovial Villa in Tuscany this October to take a week long cooking course!! If you are interested in joining us as we learn how to make gluten free pastas and breads IN ITALY (yayayaaa!), you can find more information HERE!
- Bob’s Red Mill has great flours and they just released a new Paleo baking flour we are so excited to bake with!
- Skinny Dipped Almonds are SO good. Not too much chocolate, and the perfect crunchy almond. Satisfy Meg’s super sweet tooth without too much sugar!
- Pili nuts by Hunter & Gatherer tastes like a cross between a pine nut and a brazil nut. It comes from the Philippines and surely will become a new addition in our recipes!
- UNREAL candy’s quinoa chocolate bits won the “Best of Show” award and they deserved it! These tiny morsels were truly UNREAL! Cannot wait to hand these out for Halloween this year!
- Purely Elizabeth granola is absolutely addictive. Her new granola bars they are coming out with too are going to be a snack staple!
- Rhythm Superfoods beet chips, unbelievable terrific satisfying that salty crunchy craving!
- Edwards and Sons Let’s Do…Organic’s Sweetened condensed coconut milk!!! Our favorite baking surprise!!! OMGoodness we LOVED this product. It is going to be so wonderful in Meg’s vegan baking too.
We hope you found this helpful!! And that you enjoy these gluten free goodies soon!! XOXO