Top 10 Natural Products Expo East Finds (2019)
That’s a wrap Baltimore! Expo East is over, and I am always on the look out for the newest, coolest, tastiest products to share with you. There aren’t a TON of product launches at Expo East (not as many as at Expo West), but I definitely found some great products to share with you!
A good amount of the following brands have never been featured in one of my Expo roundups, which is so cool because I love finding new brands (some are new brands and some are just new to me).
Of course, my favorite thing about Expo is getting to see my Expo Family. I have found some wonderful, genuine people in this industry who I think are pretty rad, and it’s fun to all be under the same roof a few times a year.
There were obviously a few trends this year: CBD and Cauliflower in everything (like everything) and so many Keto products. It’s insane how many brands are adding products that are Keto friendly! Keto is the new Paleo when it comes to the latest trend, and I am not mad at it as long as the ingredients are good. You don’t have to be Keto (or vegan, gluten free, paleo, soy free, etc.) to enjoy these products.
Thanks to New Hope Network and Natural Products Expo for an amazing event and for also including me in the Influencer Summit. What a great time to be surrounded by so many amazing men and women in the industry who are using their INFLUENCE FOR GOOD!
PS - Yes, it’s true! We did get to meet Katy Perry at the show! She is now one of the owners/investors in Bragg Live Foods. I have been using their products for most of my life. It turns out that she has, too! I use their Apple Cider Vinegar the most, but grew up using their Liquid Aminos on EVERYTHING. Also, Katy was super kind and quite lovely. I truly love that she invested in the Natural Products Industry. She has a HUGE audience and influence over people, and I am glad that she is bringing attention to this industry, which I am so grateful to be a part of. Very cool to meet her and stoked for Braggs!
Okay, here we go! My Top 10 Favorite Products from the show in no particular order!
1 Siete Foods Burrito Size Tortillas
gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, paleo, nonGMO
I love this family! I love what they are creating and sharing with us. First of all, how amazing is this large burrito? It’s also HUGE, and now we are so ready to make some paleo burritos ASAP! I think they will launch in all 5 flavors: Almond Flour, Cassava & Chia, Cassava Flour, Cashew Flour and Chickpea Flour. Siete also launched Enchilada Sauces (Rojo and Verde), a few new flavors of chips and even newly designed bags. They are absolutely killing it and even Ryan Seacrest is a fan! If you missed that interview that Siete co-founder Veronica Garza did with Ryan, you can listen to it here. I was all smiles listening to it, because I know that so many people learned about Siete Foods’ line of products and can now eat chips and tortillas again.
The burrito size tortillas are launching in January 2020.
2 Cybele’s Free To Eat Confetti Cookies
gluten free, dairy free, vegan, soy free, top 8 allergen friendly
So these are magical cookies that I am way excited about! Cybele has created an amazing line of allergen friendly pastas (that have lots of protein and veggies, too), cookies that taste really, really good (some of the best gluten free cookies ever) and the new Confetti Cookies are hands down my favorite! They are made with great ingredients, natural colored sprinkles and, like I said before, magic!
Launch TBD.
3 SunWarrior Clean Keto Plant - Based Protein Peptides
vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, keto, no added sugar
I really am stoked to see a Clean Vegan Keto protein powder with awesome ingredients! I think too many vegan products are too high in carbs, and it’s hard enough to get protein into your diet while staying low carb, as it is. Example: Lentils, Beans & Quinoa are high in protein and great protein options, however, they are also high in carbs. For anyone who has to watch their carb intake, it’s hard to also get in the same amount of protein. SunWarrior makes a great line of organic protein powders and they added a few new ones this year. I tasted both the Clean Keto Vanilla and Clean Keto Chocolate, and both were really tasty! This product may burn fat, curb appetite, support cognition, support healthy cholesterol and support healthy blood sugar levels, too. I can’t wait to get my hands on them when they are available!
These Vegan Keto Protein Powders will launch mid October.
4 Rebbl Sparkling Prebiotic Tonics
vegan, organic, nonGMO, gluten free, no cane sugar
Rebbl’s brand new Sparkling Prebiotic Tonics are quite delicious! There are 4 flavors (Ginger Gold, Mystic Mint, Forest Berry, Cold-Brew Cola) and we really enjoyed each of them. My absolute favorite was Forest Berry! They are made with plant prebiotics which supports healthy digestion, they are made without cane sugar and are USDA Organic, too. We love their other Super Herb Elixirs, Plant Protein Elixirs and Superfood Coffee drinks already, so seeing these new beautiful bottles got me all kinds of excited.
These new Sparkling Prebiotic Tonics are available now in Whole Foods.
5 Primal Kitchen Foods Pasta Sauces
paleo, Keto, dairy free, soy free, vegan, soy free, Whole30
Oh boy! What an exciting line of new products from such a wonderful company. Primal Kitchen has done it again and again. We tasted 3 of the new Pasta Sauces (Roasted Garlic Marinara, No-Dairy Alfredo Sauce, Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce, No-Dairy Garlic Alfredo Sauce & No-Dairy Vodka Sauce). I actually make cashew Alfredo sauce a lot (recipe here), and it’s pretty easy, BUT it’s so nice to be able to just buy a jar and trust that the ingredients are super clean, too! Way to go Primal Kitchen Foods!
These new Pasta Sauces are available now, here. You can use code KrystensKitchen for a discount at checkout.
6 Vital Proteins Ready Made Creamers, Collagen Bars & Peach White Tea Collagen Water
gluten free, dairy free, soy free, paleo
Vital Proteins does it again and again! They launched 35+ new products at the show, including a line geared towards men, but is for both men and women. You can see that here. What an amazing brand and company! I do want to start by saying that I do work with Vital Proteins as one of their influencers, BUT I am not required to put them in this list, and I wouldn’t put them in this list if I didn’t actually like the new products. My jaw dropped when I saw and tasted these new products, and it’s so exciting seeing them just kill it in this industry!
Ready-Made Liquid Collagen Creamers are just like the powdered Collagen Creamers, but are already mixed with reverse osmosis filtered water, and you can just pour it right into your coffee. It will come in a few different flavors: Hazelnut, Mocha, Vanilla and Coconut).
"Creating a collagen-based liquid creamer was really a no-brainer for us. The number one way our customers are enjoying their daily intake of collagen is in their coffee, so we wanted to cater to those individuals who prefer a chilled, liquid add-on to their morning - or afternoon - cup," explains Kurt Seidensticker, Found and CEO of Vital Proteins.
These Collagen Creamers will launch Spring 2020
Collagen Bars - What can I say except HOLY WOW! Um, the flavors are so bonkers delicious (Mint Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Chocolate Almond Sea Salt, Lemon Vanilla, Raspberry Lemon & Mixed Berry)! The texture will be a hit or miss, as everyone is different when it comes to texture. I liked the texture, to be honest, and think they did a really great job with the new bars. The easiest comparison I can give you for the texture of the bars is maybe similar to an RxBar, but it it’s not quite the same. Give them a try!
These Collagen Bars will launch late Fall 2020 online and in select retailers.
Peach White Tea Collagen Water - Earlier this year, Vital Proteins launched their line of Collagen Waters, and they added a new flavor to the family. The Peach White Tea isn’t as Peachy as you might think it would be, but it is a Peach White Tea not a Peach drink. It’s refreshing (just like the other flavors) and has 10g of collagen peptides and only 3g of sugar.
This Peach White Tea Collagen Water is available now, here.
7 Rhythm Superfoods Organic Cauliflower Bites
organic, vegan, dairy free, soy free, gluten free, kosher, nonGMO
I think we visited this booth more than any other booth at Expo East and ate more samples of the crunchy cauliflower than anyone else at the show, too. It was THAT good! It comes in a few flavors like Sea Salt, White Cheddar and Buffalo Ranch. All flavors were vegan and made with clean, organic ingredients. They are also very low carb, Keto friendly and we want to take them to the movies and eat them (since we can’t eat popcorn). They also launched Watermelon, Crunchy Pineapple and Mango snacks, too. (These aren’t available just yet, though but they’re very good)
These will launch in the next few weeks at Whole Foods.
allergen friendly, paleo, dairy free, organic, nonGMO, whole30, no added sugars
Serenity Kids makes a line of baby food that is high in protein and healthy fats. They didn’t love what they saw in the market so they made their own using the best of the best ingredients like grass fed, free range meats from small American family farms. They added high quality organic vegetables to create balanced meals that babies (and also Krysten and Jeff) love! They use healthy fats, don’t add sugar, don’t use sugary fruits and are also paleo friendly. I would even call these Whole30, too, as it’s just meat and veggies. Their BISON flavor won a Nexty too! It just has organic kabocha squash, grass fed bison, water, organic spinach and organic avocado oil — YUM! They have a line that is pasture raised meats + veggies and a line that’s just veggies and healthy fats.
This entire line is available in select stores and www.MySerenityKids.com
The last 2 were super hard to choose between because there were 2 sets of each of the categories that I beyond loved. They are different and not necessarily competing products. There are 4 products/brands that are taking spots 9 and 10, and I didn’t want to do that because I truly want a top 10. BUT my only hope is that it helps spread the word about these amazing brands and also, perhaps, due to food allergens you may be only able to have one or the other. I wanted to make sure that you were able to decide so that I am not deciding for you.
Let’s talk Truffles & Plant Cheeses:
9a Pure Batch Espresso Truffles (& Chocolate Chip Cookies)
gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, organic
I found this great brand, which is really a family owned company out of New Jersey and they make a great line of raw truffles, cookies and even black bean brownies. It’s a mother-daughter team that is a dynamic duo! Everyone was super friendly, and we just totally connected with them at the show. Their Espresso Truffles are a force to be reckoned with. Holy moly! They are rolled in espresso and really taste great — if you like coffee. They had other flavors, including Cookie Dough and even Snickerdoodle. Their Cacao Chip Cookies were also fabulous, and I can’t wait to see this brand just grow and grow!
These products are available in select stores around New Jersey and the East Coast and www.PureBatch.com
9b Trail Truffles
gluten free, dairy free, vegan, soy free, grain free, nonGMO, low glycemic
This was one of the first products I saw at the show that BLEW MY MIND, and I immediately fell in love. There are 4 flavors of Trail Truffles (Peanut Butter Cup, Chocolate Hazelnut, Mint Creme & Coconut Macadamia) and I really loved them all! My favorite might have been the Mint Creme, though. It tasted like a thin mint cookie, except without bad ingredients. Love that they are nutrient dense but also are great “dupes” for some favorite candy bars we all loved as kids. They contain about 6g of protein per serving, too.
These products are available in select stores around Colorado and also available at www.TrailTruffles.com
10a Plant Perks Plant-Based Cheeze Spreads
vegan, plant based, keto, soy free, gluten free, organic, paleo, nonGMO
What a fabulous line of Plant-based cheese spreads! We ate quite a few samples of these “cheeze spreads” and totally love that they are made from cashews. They are rich in probiotocs and made with very clean ingredients. Flavors include Smoked Gouda, Garlic & Herb, Siracha Cheddar, Dill Havarti, and Smoked Provolone. Our favorites were most definitely the Garlic & Herb and the Dill Havarti. They use organic MCT oil in each of their cheese and really have nailed these flavors.
These products are available in select stores and online at www.PlantPerks.com
10b Nuttin Ordinary - Cultured Cashew Cheese
vegan, plant based, gluten free, soy free, paleo, nonGMO, oil free
There is nothing ordinary about Nuttin Ordinary. I was blown away by the texture of these amazing cashew based cheeses. I love these 4 cheeses (yes, I even tried the spicy one) and love that they are each made with 5 to 6 ingredients, keeping them super simple and clean. I would love to spread this cashew cheese on a bagel right about now or even some crackers. I could have kept eating the Italian Herb, for sure, and super love that they are made in a gluten free and dairy free facility.
These products are available in select stores and online at www.NuttinOrdinary.com
Thanks for reading this lengthy blog post recap of Natural Products Expo East! I look forward to this every 6 months with Expo East and Expo West. Until next time, Baltimore! Expo East is moving to Philadelphia — see you next year, Philly, and in Anaheim in March!
Here are some past Top 10 Favorites Finds from Expo blogs:
So many awesome finds! I love all of the dairy-free and vegan goodies! I am hoping they bring some to Idaho!
thank you so much, Wendy! The new Vital Proteins products are amazing! :) Thanks for reading for taking the time to comment -- means so much!
I love when you share your favorite finds at Expo! I'm most excited about the new product with Vital Proteins! xo - Wendy Moore