As the biggest gathering of natural products and industry professionals in the US, the Natural Products Expo West is a colossal gathering of every brand you’d find in a health food store (and many conventional stores these days, as well!). Here you can find food products, supplements, beauty goods, fitness merchandise, and pretty much everything you can think of related to wellness available to sample, while natural brands conduct valuable face-time with merchandisers, health experts, and suppliers. This year, we brought our most comfortable sneakers (we’ve learned our lesson from previous years!), and went on a hunt for the coolest new stuff on the block. Here are the trends we saw and loved … and what you can expect to find on the shelves of your local store, soon!
CBD Everything
Newly legalized at state level in many regions of the country, CBD – or Cannabidiol – is a safe, non-intoxicating compound sourced from hemp. Touted as a treatment for many conditions, from anxiety to inflammation to epilepsy, CBD has taken the natural marketplace by storm. In fact, to say there was a lot of new CBD products at this show is an understatement: we saw CBD water, CBD chocolate, CBD drops, CBD creams, and so much more. Needless to say, you can expect to see CBD everywhere very soon. Not all CBD products are created equal, so quality control is likely to be an issue with CBD in the near future. All the more reason to buy from the brands you know and trust.
Luminberry Loves: Navitas Organics CBD Wellness Shots
Combined with organic superfoods in ready-to-drink “shots,” these convenient CBD-infused beverages are expertly designed with real-deal function in mind: choose from Bliss, Focus, Calm, or Restore. We love that they contain a full 20mg serving of CBD in each bottle, too!
MCT Everything, Too
'Tis the year of acronyms describing some lesser-known nutritional compounds. MCT, or medium chain triglycerides, are a rare form of saturated fat that are most concentrated in coconuts. Recently, they’ve hit peak popularity because of their ability to be turned into ketones in your body, aka fat-derived energy, rather than being stored as fat – making them very useful for dieters and active individuals alike. We saw MCT oils added to food, beverages, and as a popular supplement, and believe this trend will be around for quite some time to come.
Luminberry Loves: Living Intentions MCT Activated Superfood Popcorn
This next-level organic popcorn is created to ensure maximum digestibly and nutritional bioavailability, and is boosted with healthy MCT fats, Himalayan crystal salts, and some of the cleanest ingredient sets you’ll find at the store. The plant-based “cheese” flavor is truly exceptional – we can’t wait for it to hit the shelves!
Back To Whole
Undoubtedly, there are a plethora of processed snacks to choose from within the “natural food” realm – it’s one of the biggest dichotomies of the industry. And yet, this year, like a little ray of hope, we saw an increase in simpler snacks too, made from whole foods and unprocessed ingredients. It was refreshing to see new products like snacks made from fruits and vegetables, smoothie boosters made from powdered produce (and not just isolates), and easy-to-enjoy meals made from actual whole foods.
Luminberry Loves: Patagonia Provisions Organic Soup
There’s nothing better than reading an ingredient list that sounds like a real-life bag of groceries, and that’s exactly what Patagonia Provisions have achieved with their “instant” dried soup mixes. No frills here: just comforting recipes made from organic, plant-based, whole foods. Sometimes simple is truly best.
Beyond Dairy
The evolution of plant-based alternatives for problematic dairy ingredients isn’t just trying to catch up anymore, in many cases it’s out-and-out surpassing its animal-based competition. We saw milks of all different varieties featured in abundance, and even some boosted with additional nutritional benefits like extra protein or probiotics. Cheeses, yogurts, and readymade snacks abounded, all while waving their dairy-free flag high. We’re truly so happy to see so many options that are better for so many people, not to mention better for the planet as well.
Luminberry Loves: New Barn Almond Dips
Is it a cheese dip? Is it a hummus? Whatever you call these seductively creamy spreads made from almonds and tahini, one adjective you’ll definitely be using is “delicious.” Great flavors aside, we’re also so impressed by the nutrition-priority of these products as well, which all feature vegetables as their first ingredient.
Elevated Hydration
Can you find a lot of beverage-ready powders at Natural Products Expo? Consider it a promise. But finding clean, beneficial powder mixes that are fully prepared to optimize your biological performance is a bit more like striking gold. Our favorite findings included the companies who stood strong in taking the “fluff” out of their products (i.e. forgoing added sugar, artificial preservatives, inexpensive fillers, and more), instead offering nutrient-dense products which deliver an advantageous boost to every hydrating sip you take.
Luminberry Loves: Laird Superfood Hydrate Beet Coconut Water with Aquamin
With coconut-derived electrolytes, circulation-promoting beet powder, and mineral-rich aquamin (marine algae), this purposeful product is a dream add-in to any movement-enthusiast’s water bottle.