My Top 26 Products of Expo East 2021
Sep 28, 2021
Last week I went to the Natural Products Expo, Expo East in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Expo East is a national food show that occurs yearly where health food and natural product companies from all over the country come together to display their products. All of the brands included in the event are natural, organic, and non-GMO. The event features food products, supplements, skincare, and makeup. This was the first food show I was able to attend since early 2020 before the pandemic. It was so nice to be back at a food show, they are one of my favorite parts of my job. I am so passionate about finding brands I trust that use clean ingredients. I found so many amazing new, Earth Diet-approved brands and stopped by to say hi to some of my already favorite brands! Below I am going to share my Expo East experience which also includes my Top 26 Brands from the show.
I left for the Expo early Wednesday morning and fasted during the morning to reset my nervous system and gear up for the amazing food experiences I had coming my way. During my morning fast, on the train, I stayed hydrated with Hallstein water. Hallstein is a water company that comes from Austria! The water is straight out of the Austrian Alps, from a well 700 feet below ground. It is the purest water we can drink! You can purchase from their site and use code: LIANA at checkout to receive a complimentary 6-pack case. I broke my fast with these delicious brownie bites called Rule Breakers They are gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of the top allergens including nuts. So delicious and a great upgrade for anyone looking for a healthier brownie alternative. These make an excellent gift for anyone you know who is nut-free and feels like they are missing out on healthier chocolate brownies. I also brought along my Liana's Organics Anxiety-Free Supplement, the first time it would be seeing a trade show! And of course, I took two on the train (and two again later that day).
My Top 26 Products of the show:
1. Bragg
Bragg is a long-time favorite of mine! They sell Apple Cider Vinegar, Nutritional Yeast, Olive Oil, and other great products. Their newest products include pre-made apple cider vinegar drinks; a great source of prebiotics and probiotics. Patricia Bragg, the founder is the cutest and one of my biggest role models! She is 92 years old and healthier than ever thanks to her daily apple cider vinegar!
2. Evive
Evive is a new brand I discovered! They are amazing, they are pre-frozen smoothie packs that you can use to make a smoothie without a blender! How cool- you just drop the pack in a cup, add plant-based milk and let it melt for 10-15 minutes. There is also the option to add the pack to a blender as well for a thicker smoothie. They use organic ingredients in each bag and use a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nutrients. If you are on the go- this brand is great for you!
Cleveland Kitchen is another long-time favorite of mine! They make sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles. Their newest product includes fermented salad dressings and other sauces. This brand is great because adding fermented foods daily to our diets helps keep the gut healthy and happy. I love the sauerkraut because it uses few clean organic ingredients: Green cabbage, garlic, and kosher black pepper, and is totally sugar-free! I talk about this in my latest book Anxiety-Free with Food that you can help replenish the good bacteria in your microbiome through probiotic foods and supplements. You get probiotics naturally when you eat fermented foods like vegetables, cucumbers, pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi (just make sure they don’t have sugar and preservatives added - like Cleveland Kitchen! One systematic review in 2019 examined studies that treated anxiety through regulating the microbiome, either through probiotic use or dietary methods. The researchers found that more than half of the studies “showed that regulating intestinal flora can effectively improve anxiety symptoms.” Most impressive to me was that “80 percent of studies that conducted the non-probiotic interventions were effective.” They concluded, “In the clinical treatment of anxiety symptoms, in addition to the use of psychiatric drugs for treatment, we can also consider regulating intestinal flora to alleviate anxiety symptoms. Especially for patients with somatic diseases who are not suitable for the application of psychiatric drugs for anxiety treatment, probiotic methods and/or non-probiotic ways . . . can be applied flexibly according to clinical conditions.” REFERENCE 1. B. Yang, J. Wei, P. Ju, and J. Chen, “Effects of Regulating Intestinal Microbiota on Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review,” Gen Psychiatr, no. 2, vol. 32 (2019 May 17), p. e100056, doi: 10.1136/gpsych-2019-100056.
4. Choc Zero
I am so excited to share this brand with you! If you are a chocolate lover like me, you will love Choc Zero. Choc Zero is a chocolate brand that has perfected the recipe to create healthier chocolate with zero sugar. Instead, the chocolate is sweetened with monk fruit- a natural sweetener that does not spike blood sugar levels and the body does not digest it as sugar.
5. Milkadamia
Milkadamia is another product I have enjoyed for a long time now. They make nut milk, butter, and now, ice cream and skincare! Whoa, macadamia nut milk skincare - it's divine! Stay on the lookout for this one, I have been using it daily since the show and it's lovely; hydrating, and absorbs into the skin nicely. Their new ice cream makes a great alternative to dairy milk- check them out if you are dairy-free or looking to make the switch. Their milk is so creamy and at the show, I tried their new holiday flavors - they tasted like Christmas in a cup!
6. Honey Mama's
Honey Mama's is another chocolate brand I am so excited to share with you! Honey Mama's is an amazing brand making healthy chocolate with a variety of unique, delicious flavors. Most of their flavors use only 5 ingredients, they only use honey as a sweetener, and the flavors come from pure oil extracted from the respective plant or fruit that the chocolate is flavored with. They also have to stay refrigerated which is how you know it is full of the good stuff!
7. Cool Beans
Cool Beans was a great find! This brand is next level. They make plant-based frozen wraps. Each wrap is made of all vegetables and a different type of rice. They are so delicious and perfect for those busy days on the go.
Simple Kneads is a delicious gluten-free bread that is also free of the top 9 allergens! It is hard to find gluten-free bread these days that does not include one of the allergens. They make a few different varieties including sourdough, pumpernickel, and a quinoa power grain. Each variety includes all organic ingredients and zero fillers, how awesome is that?! They are available online, select Whole Foods and local health food stores in the U.S.
9. Olita
Olita is a sunscreen that ticks all the boxes Organic, reef safe, and EWG certified! This sunscreen is amazing, it rubs in so easily and does not even feel like you have sunscreen on. They even have a tinted one that matches well with any skin tone offering ultimate sun protection without the annoyance of streaky, white sunscreen. Olita also makes this awesome sports powder that you can put on after a workout to reduce sweat or use when leaving the beach to get all the sand off. If you are looking for a clean sunscreen, this product is for you!
10. Food Earth
Food Earth is the first of its kind that I have seen! They make shelf-stable, organic, plant-based, pre-packaged Indian food. They make hummus and ready to heat Indian dishes. These are amazing for busy days, contain minimal Organic ingredients, no fillers, and actually taste great! They come in microwavable dishes but you can also pour the ingredients out into a pot which is what I did and heat it up that way. So good! P.S I traveled with this in my carry-on luggage at the airport after the show, and there was no issue getting it through, so this could be a great travel food to bring along for your trips! I know some of you will say, eating from a microwave is not good, and I agree it is never ideal, however eating hotel food that is cooked with a microwave is worse than eating food cooked in a microwave. Sometimes we have to choose the lesser worst thing when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle!
11. Meatless Farm
Meatless Farm is an awesome plant-based meat alternative. They make burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and ground beef all out of veggies. The majority of their products are also certified gluten-free and the ingredients they use include Water, Pea Protein, Vegetable Oils, Methylcellulose, Yeast Extract, and Less than 2% of: Potassium Lactate, Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Pea Fiber, Natural Flavor, Caramelized Carrot Concentrate for color, Potato Fiber, Potato Starch, Fruit and Vegetable Extracts for Color. This brand is so delicious, I stayed at their booth and tried all of the options they had there for my lunch- ha! They are available in most Whole Foods and health food stores in the U.S. A great plant-based alternative for many.
12. Lesser Evil
Lesser Evil is another long-time favorite of mine! They make clean, plant-based snacks. Their first product was popcorn, which is popped in coconut oil and flavored with natural sweeteners to make a variety of flavors. Recently they have expanded into more snacks where they now have a variety of puffs and cookies too! Lesser Evil is an amazing upgrade for traditional snacks food. All of their products are Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, grain-free, and they also are primarily dairy-free. They also recently launched a kid-friendly line. An excellent upgrade for traditional kid snacks and a way to sneak extra nutrients into your kid's diet in a fun way. Check them out!
13. Good Pops
Good Pops are a great product for kids! They are USDA Organic, dairy-free, gluten-free, and contain minimal ingredients. Good Pops come in a variety of flavors, including all of the childhood favorites and now they even make the beloved freezer pops! I tried the chocolate fudge which was delicious and sweetened with only coconut sugar! Good pops are definitely an Earth Diet-approved upgrade for a sweet treat that takes you back to your childhood.
Miss Jones Baking is a company that makes baking mixes and organic icing! They are so so delicious and make a great upgrade for traditional baking mixes. They use 100% whole wheat flour, or gluten-free flour for specific products. Miss Jones stood out to me the most because of the "smart sugar" blend they use. They created smart sugar which is a combo of sugar blended with ingredients derived from starchy root vegetables that are naturally sweet. Smart sugar offers 50% less than the normal amount of sugar in their products. I also loved this brand because it is woman-owned and the owner, Sarah Jones is so nice, I had a great time chatting with her at the show!
15. Eat Mikey's
Eat Mikey's was a brand I had never heard of before! They are EPIC! Mikey's is a GF brand that makes English muffins, tortillas, and now stuffed pockets, similar to the classic hot pocket but with better-for-you ingredients. Mikey's also has DF products, at the show I tried all of the pockets that were DF and GF and they were amazing. They were so delicious and tasted fresh! Mikey's is a great upgrade if your childhood favorite comfort food was a hot pocket. Check them out if you are on the go, they make a great quick meal, without sacrificing health!
16. Sana
Sana is another brand I just discovered at the show! Charles Chen introduced me to Sana, I tried them and talked about their products on Facebook live for New Hope Media. You can check out the video here. They come from Tulum, Mexico, and make coconut flour chips and tortillas. Sana was cultivated from The Real Coconut Kitchen, an all plant-based restaurant that originated in Tulum and now has a few locations in the U.S. The ingredients are amazing, USDA organic, and just coconut flour, cassava starch, coconut oil, and sea salt. The consistency and the taste of the chips are A+. I have not yet tried the tortillas but I am so excited as most gluten-free tortillas do not hold up well. You can find Sana in select grocers throughout the U.S. or order online.
17. Dream Pops
I am so excited to tell you about Dream Pops! Dream pops are an amazing alternative for a traditional popsicle. They are completely plant-based and refined sugar-free. They even contain adaptogens - how cool! Dream Pops makes popsicles and their new products - dream bites which are bite-sized frozen "bites" dipped in dark chocolate. All of their products have a coconut milk base and are sweetened with only coconut sugar. If you are looking for a dessert upgrade that you could enjoy daily- dream pops are it! Available in select stores throughout the U.S. or online.
18. Violife
Violife is a company that makes vegan cheese! I had tried them before but was so impressed to see the large variety of cheeses they now offer. All of their cheeses are non-GMO verified, free of the top allergens, and delicious! They make classic cheddar, gouda, feta, and more. Violife melts better than other dairy-free cheeses I have tried in the past. If you are dairy-free, Violife is a must-try!
19. True Made Foods
True Made Foods is one of the brands I am most excited to share! It is veteran-owned- woo! Finally, a sauce company that uses no added sugar, woohoo! True Made makes ketchup, honey mustard, hot sauce, and other sauces with only fruit and vegetables. They are not Organic however they are non-GMO verified. The only product they have which contains added sugar is the barbeque sauce. True Made is an excellent upgrade as traditional ketchup contains high fructose corn syrup- yuck! I tried the ketchup and honey mustard - both are delicious and taste just like the real thing! I highly recommend True Made, especially if you have kids. This is a great way to sneak in extra fruits and veggies to a meal. Available in most groceries across the U.S. and online.
20. Caulipower
Caulipower is an amazing brand if you are gluten-free! They make pizza crusts, frozen pizzas, chicken tenders, tortillas, rice, and their newest product is pasta! Unlike other gluten-free crusts, they hold up well and do not get soggy like a lot of other cauliflower products. This is also a great product to sneak in extra veggies for the kids!
Nufs Superfood Snacks is a brand new company! I found them on the first day, they are two sisters passionate about health and started this company because diabetes runs in their family, and finding snacks without refined sugar is important to them, so they decided to create their own! Nufs are little bites made out of superfoods and they are ACTUALLY SUPER TASTY unlike sorry to say many other superfood balls. I know people are hesitant to buy superfood balls because they are a hit or miss when it comes to flavor, but these were packed with deliciousness! My favorite flavor was the ginger orange! They have a variety of flavors, including brownie bites. All of their products are plant-based, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. Nufs are an epic upgrade and make a great snack or dessert, check them out!
Teev-O-Nee is another brand new company I am so excited about! Teev-O-Nee is a plant-based cheesecake brand that is woman-owned. Her cheesecake was so delicious, some of the best plant-based cheesecake I have ever had. It is all gluten-free, raw, and vegan - so good! I love the name too, Teev-O-Nee means "way of life" in Israeli where the founder, Natanyah is from originally. Natanyah now lives in Washington D.C. where she also creates plant-based meal preps for her community. Such a great company!
23. VGAN Chocolate
VGAN chocolate is a brand that comes from Norway. It is so delicious and creamy! They do not use refined sugars and use pure cacao which is a major plus. I also love how they have unique flavors like grapefruit and chia, so fun! Definitely satisfied my chocolate cravings during the show.
Patch Organics Pumpkin Seed Milk was a cool find of the show! Milk made purely of pumpkin seeds. It was so delicious. Pumpkin seeds are nutrient-dense and since they are seeds, this milk makes a great dairy alternative for those that are allergic to nuts. Plus, this milk is highly sustainable, it takes half the amount of water to produce pumpkin seeds then it does almonds and oats. I also loved the chocolate flavor, it was so rich and creamy and did not leave you with a strange aftertaste like many chocolate-flavored milks.
25. Umaro
Umaro is a brand new company, launching soon! They make superfood bacon- how cool. It is bacon made out of seaweed, with so many nutritional benefits. This makes a great alternative to bacon for those that are plant-based. The flavor was so great, it tasted just like bacon but seaweed! Keep an eye out for this new brand.
26. Organi Lip
I am so excited about this brand! Organi Lip is an all-organic lip balm brand. They use coconut oil as a base and each balm contains minerals and is infused with sea buckthorn. They are a fair trade product and never use palm oils or petroleum - so great. They offer a variety of scents and flavors, I got a few samples of each. I cannot wait to tell you guys how well they work.
Another epic company I discovered was Life to Go. Life to Go is a group of health-conscious retail pros who wanted to find a better way to cultivate the best quality products and information for fun, healthy lives. Their site features noteworthy brands that are under the radar or long-time favorites. They also have a blog and social media presence to help individuals stay in the know with the latest and highest quality wellness brands.
Sunbutter did not have a booth at Expo East this year, but of course, I still had to bring along my on-the-go pouches for clean energy throughout the day between trying all of the delicious samples. Sunbutter is a nut butter alternative made of just sunflower seeds! If you know me, you know Sunbutter is a staple of my daily diet, so many benefits including protein, healthy fats, and high in iron.
I also brought along my Bulletproof immune gummies to take each day! Bulletproof also did not have a booth but they are an epic company. Bulletproof is the OG for keto coffee, adding healthy fat to coffee to help the brain focus and utilize energy properly. They recently launched these gummy supplements, the sleep ones are my favorite, however, I have enjoyed the immune ones, especially for events at Expo when I am on my feet all day and working long hours, they are great to keep immunity boosted.
I usually go to Explore Cuisine's booth for lunch at shows! Haha they dish out incredible samples of their ridiculously high plant-based protein gluten-free pasta dishes. I am looking forward to next year when all the brands will be exhibiting again!
That's a wrap on my top products and companies! It was so good to be back at the show- in my element!
Among all the sampling and finding new brands for you guys I also got to be featured on the New Hope Network Facebook live. New Hope is the company behind Expo East. My dear friend Charles Chen and I went live to discuss the brand I mentioned early, Sana, and share all about their new chips and tortilla wraps! We also shared about Bragg and their new pre-biotic and pro-biotic apple cider vinegar drinks. Lastly, we talked about my new Liana's Organics Anxiety-Free Supplements which made their first debut at a food show ever! And we touched on my latest book, Anxiety-Free with Food. It was such an honor to be featured on the live and to get to share about my new brand.
I also saw some of my good friends for the first time since pre-pandemic. The first friend I ran into was Maria Marlowe who is a nutritionist that specializes in healing acne holistically, it was so good to see her!
I also saw my long-time foodie friend, Steff! I have not seen her since I left NYC.
Ken Roseboro owner of The Organic & Non-GMO Report! The Organic & Non-GMO report is a publication that reports about trends and leaders in the non-GMO and organic markets. Ken is known as “the nation’s reporter on all issues surrounding genetically modified foods." He is truly a pioneer in this industry!
Lastly, I saw my good friend, Max Goldberg! Max is the owner of the publication Organic Insider which covers the latest topics about Organic food and Organic products.
My Liana's Organics Anxiety-Free Supplements also made it to the show! Their first time at a food expo. I am looking forward to the day I have a booth at shows, so exciting!
Here with Caroline, The Earth Diet Team! You will see us both at Expo West in March in California.
When you purchase these organic and non-GMO foods and products you are not only making your life healthier, but the entire world, as well as these products, are better for the environment. Vote with your dollar and feel proud about supporting these people and companies. Now truly is the most exciting time to be healthy!
I will share about which restaurants I ate at in Philadelphia while attending the show in another blog. They are amazing and a variety of farm-to-table, plant-based, vegan fast-food, organic and non-GMO!
note: Everyone attending the show was required to show a negative covid test or a vaccine card upon entry. Masks were also required throughout the entire show to assure everyone stayed safe and healthy.
