Step right up to the ultimate playground for foodies — Exposition West! This year’s show was packed with some of the most creative and delicious booths we’ve ever seen. Tony’s Chocolonely brought the fun with a chocolate claw machine, where attendees tested their luck for a sweet prize. Over at Grillo’s, things got even more nostalgic with a pickle-shaped take on the classic grocery store horse ride — because why not? Califia Farms took breakfast to new heights with a cereal and milk bar on tap, and Sweet Loren’s made sure no one left hungry, handing out warm, fresh-baked cookies in “Easy-bake-esque ovens.” If Expo West is about innovation, these brands understood the assignment.
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“Expo West,” is one of the largest trade shows for natural, organic, and healthy products. It takes place annually in Anaheim, California, and brings together brands, retailers, investors, and industry professionals in the CPG (consumer packaged goods) space.
While there were a lot of products marketed as “better-for-you,” a lot of products contained artificial ingredients or lots of added sugars, but these are the best new products I found at Expo West this year.
Drink your skincare with prebiotic rice water. CheckCheckCin rice water is a Traditional Chinese Medicine drink. Its rice water drink is formulated by a Chinese medicine practitioner, and contains red rice, white rice and raw coix seeds. According to Cinci Leung, the company’s founder, this prebiotic rice water strengthens digestion, which is the key to having good health.
Leung hopes to help people find their body type and the most nourishing foods, developing her products based on Chinese medicine. “Medicine and food originate from the same source” and are “preventative treatments,” Leung stated on the company’s website.
I have always loved and eaten meat and I was actually tricked by Millennial Marbles Beef when they told me to try their “steak.” I genuinely had zero clue from the way they prepared the steak that it was made from fermented mushrooms. You can even experience the marbling of a real steak in their products. Their beef shred was also so incredible and so flavorful. It is a great option for meat-eaters and non-meat-eaters alike!
Cocomo’s Coconut Peanut Butter was one of the most delicious treats I tasted all day. I love any sort of spread and this has super clean ingredients, but still tasted sweet. I got to meet one of the co-founders, Abigail Helm, who started the brand because she was tired of all of the overly sugary desserts on the market. The Cocomo booth transports you to a tropical beach vacation with its vibrant blue decor. I can not wait to use this all summer to make peanut butter s’mores!
I’m a huge fan of Hu Kitchen’s chocolate bars. Unlike most chocolate on the market, they contain none of the additives like palm oil, erythritol, emulsifiers or soy lecithin. Their chocolate is refined sugar-free and gluten-free, using whole foods ingredients and sweetened with coconut sugar. I got to try their new chocolate bites that will be stuffed with cashew butter and coconut butter. I also loved the touch of chairs in the shape of their chocolate at their booth.
LA Salt Co is a family-owned and operated brand that utilizes different types of salt as the star ingredient in all its skincare products. I was able to try the company’s Kashmir Pink Himalayan salt face mask, as well as their Dead Sea and Deep Sea mineral sprays. Both of these contain magnesium, which has been shown to calm the body. The two sisters started their brand, experimenting with magnesium salt baths to help with their magnesium deficiencies and the stressors of living and working in Los Angeles. As someone who is constantly stressed, I am excited to implement this magnesium spray into my everyday routine!
ION (Intelligence of Nature) is on a mission to revolutionize health by supporting microbiome integrity and fostering a deeper connection between humans and the environment. Their products, developed with Dr. Zach Bush’s research focuses on strengthening cellular communication and protecting the body from modern environmental stressors, like glyphosate and toxins found in food and water. At Expo West, ION introduced their new ION+ line, an evolution of their original gut, skin, and sinus products, now with enhanced formulations for even greater microbiome support and cellular resilience. I got to try their new Matcha, Elderberry, and Chamomile drink mixes, and I will be replacing their matcha with my current one!
As an ex-Nutella lover, I am constantly looking for better-for-you alternatives. I loved Artisana Organics’ Hazelnut Cacao spread, which has hazelnuts as its first ingredient, instead of sugar like Nutella does. It also uses real ingredients like coconut sugar, cacao powder and coconut oil. Artisan’s new Organic Hazelnut Cacao granola might be my new favorite granola.
