Blog for all health-conscious: Fooducate Blog - Some Interesting Food Trends from Expo West

Sunday, 11 March 2012

Fooducate Blog - Some Interesting Food Trends from Expo West

Some Interesting Food Trends from Expo West

Posted: 11 Mar 2012 05:34 AM PDT

We spent Friday and Saturday at the Anaheim Convention Center, which was jam packed for the Expo West Natural Food Show. The show brings together manufacturers, buyers, foodies, and everyone else interested in a slightly healthier alternative to standard grocery fare. Alongside stalwart established brands in the space, such as Amy’s Kitchen or Clif Bar, there are many small players just starting out.

Here are four trends we picked up on:

Bean and Lentil Snacks – instead of corn or potato, beans and lentil crackers and chips offer higher fiber and protein count. Some come with a lower fat count compared to classic potato chips. As for the flavor profile, it is definitely different than what you are used to. But tasty too!

Storage solutions for water, food – many companies were touting their BPA free bottles and canisters. Some were plastic, others were stainless steel, with nice designs. There was even a company selling glass containers covered by silicon protector sleeves! We also like Lunchbots, a stainless steel lunchbox for kids.

Bulk – more on that later next week.

Seeds – Chia, flax and other seeds are making their way into various products. In their raw forms, they are superfoods, so it’s only logical that companies would want to incorporate them into processed goods.