Top 10 Natural Products Expo West Finds (2022)
We’re back, baby! Natural Products Expo West 2022 was a hit and it felt incredible to see everyone celebrating life, good food, live music and the natural products industry again. This year was different in many ways, coming off of a two year hiatus due to ya know, “the world being broken” and all… new brands showcasing new products, old fav brands not attending this year and also being 34 weeks pregnant. I walked 15 miles, thousands of steps and saw the entire show floor multiple times over 3 full days. Adrenaline and coffee samples, friendly faces and warm hugs kept me going and I found some super yummy new things to share with you.
Each year at Expo West I feature my top 10 favorite finds at the show and my last show recap was Expo East 2019. Little did we know back then we wouldn’t have an Expo West 2020 as the show was cancelled less than 24 hours before the show floor opened. It was tough on the entire industry. Sadly, many small businesses couldn't make it through the last two years and most struggled throughout 2020 and 2021 but we’re back in action and celebrating what's new and hot in the natural products industry!
Fun facts about Expo West 2022… it's my first time attending the show pregnant, first concert in over 3 years (Michael Franti was AMAZING!), also our last concert for awhile since we have a baby coming in less than 2 months, and this is the first time I’ve ever had one brand with two products take up two spots on my top 10 list!
Trending on the show floor this year… canned water. Lots and lots of canned water. CBD is out, keto is low on the list but making an appearance and the main focus this year was plant based meat alternatives galore. Every plant based meat had the same tagline… “Bacon! Made with plants!” “Tuna! Made with plants!” “Shredded beef! Made with plants.” Plant based meats is in and for me that’s a hard pass. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super into plant-based options for dips, drinks, cheese, milks, snacks and desserts but plant based meat isn’t my thing. 99% of the time it’s filled with crappy ingredients, inflammatory oils and things that you simply cannot pronounce. I much prefer to stick to eating grass fed meats over the fake stuff. I have NOTHING against plant-based products at all. In fact, we consume a ton of plant based products in our home... it's the meat alternatives that contain weird ingredients and then claim to be "healthier" than the original that I'm not a fan of.
We also found a few baby brands and checked out some awesome baby products. My favorite baby food out there is from Once Upon A Farm, Serenity Kids and we love Lesser Evil Snacks Lil'Puffs. I'm grateful that there some brands making clean baby foods and we can't wait for our little boy to try them. I did get to meet the lovely Jennifer Garner, co-founder of Once Upon A Farm. Their organic, farm fresh pouches taste super delish and are made with incredible ingredients! Jennifer was so kind, super sweet & stoked to see my baby belly. Until it's time for our sweet baby to try these goods, this mama will gladly enjoy them!
Okay let’s get to the good stuff.
In no particular order (except for the first two which were 100% my hubby's and my favorite finds at the show), here are my favorites at Expo West 2022!
Dream Pops Crunch
Gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, soy-free
This is by far the coolest, newest, most innovative, yummiest thing we found at the show. Kind of a crunchy ice cream-type bar that is more like a candy bar but healthier than a candy bar made with super clean plant-based ingredients! It's crunchy, not too sweet and made with real ingredients you just love! They will come in 6 flavors, Vanilla Sky, Cookie Dough, Banana Cream, Birthday Cake, Mint Chip, and Berry Dreams. Look for them on their website and Amazon in April and in select retailers sometime after that. Follow Dream Pops on Instagram and stay up to date on when they will launch! https://dreampops.com
Dream Pops Drips
Gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, soy-free
With six or less ingredients, these brand new syrups are made with simple, tasty ingredients like coconut nectar and baobab and will be fantastic to drizzle on ice cream, waffles or even yogurts. There are no gums, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup. There’s no cane sugar, either! It will launch in April on their website and Amazon and come in 3 flavors: Caramel, Chocolate and Strawberry. Follow Dream Pops on Instagram and stay up to date on when they will launch! https://dreampops.com
Smart Sweets Caramels
Gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, soy-free
Oh my lanta, yes! Plant-based caramels that are out-of-this-world, low in sugar and I cannot wait to figure out a million recipes to make with them. There are 8 that come individually wrapped in a bag and there’s only 1 gram of sugar for an entire package! The texture is that of a traditional caramel and they are the newest of the variety of candies that Smarts Sweets creates. They will be available this summer but follow Smart Sweets on Instagram and stay up to date on when they will launch! You can use my code KrystensKitchen on their website for a discount on all of their candy. https://smartsweets.com
Four Sigmatic Functional Creamers
USDA Organic, gluten-free, plant-based
I am always running "On Shrooms" with this amazing brand. Four Sigmatic's brand new creamers are made with lion's mane, MCT oil, Ashwagandha, and Probiotics and come in 3 flavors: Cacao Coconut, Original Coconut and Vanilla Coconut. All three are coconut based and in a powder that you can easily mix in your morning coffee or add some in your hot chocolate or smoothie. You won't taste any mushrooms even though that's what these "fun-guys" are known for. Available now on their website: https://us.foursigmatic.com and use code KRYSTENSKITCHEN at checkout.
Salivation Snackfoods Chocolate Chip Blondie
Gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugar, paleo, keto
I’m definitely a brownie girl through and through but Salivation Snackfoods has converted me to loving blondies wholeheartedly … but only THEIR blondie. It’s gluten free, low carb (3 net carbs per brownie), made with collagen and MCT, has no dairy and is decadent beyond words. They make 3 different brownies + a blondie: Dark Chocolate, Macadamia Nut, Walnut Chocolate Chip and their Chocolate Chip Blondie. Available now on their website: https://salivationsnackfoods.com
Banza Plant Based Shells + White Cheddar
Gluten-free, plant-based, high-protein
We’ve been fans of Banza for years and they just keep coming out with yummier products including this brand new vegan shells and white cheddar mac and cheese! It’s their staple, main chickpea pasta but with creamy white cheddar sauce made from plants. We loved each and every bite. They are making childhood staples that are safe for those who are gluten-free and also plant-based, too. Available now on their website: https://www.eatbanza.com
Roam Free Bison Chili
Gluten-free, dairy-free, grass-fed
This is probably the best chili I’ve had. It tastes homemade and is super flavorful. It has a good amount of grass-fed bison and beans, there are no added sugars and isn’t salty. It’s only recently launched in Costco but fingers crossed it launches everywhere soon. They also make the best jerky ever which you can order on their website. Use code KrystensKitchen at checkout. Follow Roam Free on Instagram and stay up to date on when they will launch! https://goroamfree.com
Runamok Sparkle Maple Syrup
You can’t go wrong with sparkles and what’s better than sparkles in maple syrup poured over your favorite stack of pancakes or waffles? Nothing. The answer is nothing. The sparkles caught my eye immediately… their maple syrup is USDA Organic and very tasty. They have a variety of flavors to choose from and also ones with sparkles. I am OBSESSED! https://runamokmaple.com
ZEGO Foods Sunny Day Bars
Top 9 Allergy Friendly, plant-based, gluten-free, glyphosate free
Nexty Award nominated product of 2022 at Expo West are ZEGO's brand new fruit and veggie bars! Made with organic mushroom powder, which you cannot taste at all, each bar contains 50% your daily Vitamin D. They test every product for glyphosate and over 400 pesticides to make sure everything they make is the cleanest possible. Sunny Day bars come in 2 flavors: Apple Cherry and Apple Raspberry. Learn more at https://zegofoods.com
Green Girl Bakeshop Coffee Cacao Crunch
USDA Organic, Gluten-free, Plant-based, Grain-free, Paleo, Soy-free, Peanut-free
This new flavor comes in a pint and also sandwiched between two dark chocolate chip cookies in an ice cream sandwich. Their incredible lineup of flavors are made with nutrient-dense ingredients and are free from common allergens. They include superfoods like ashwagandha and reishi, sweeten with maple syrup and have a coconut milk base without a coconutty flavor. Everything is made in a dedicated facility free from dairy, gluten, grains, peanuts, egg, and soy. Follow Green Girl Bakehshop on Instagram, use their store locator or order online https://www.greengirlbakeshop.com
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