Every year, there’s one event that feels like the Super Bowl of the natural products world, and that’s Expo West. It’s okay if you aren’t familiar with it — it’s an industry-only event — but I love getting to take you along with me (via Instagram stories) and I always look forward to sharing my favorite finds from the show.
To see my top 10 favorite products at the show scroll all the way down to the bottom.
If you’ve never been, it’s hard to fully explain the scale of it. Thousands of brands, endless booths, new product launches everywhere you turn, and some of the most innovative people in the food and wellness space all under one roof. It’s like Disneyland meets the Super Bowl meets Christmas morning for those of us in the natural products world.
It’s where trends are born, where small brands can become household names, and where you can get a real sense of what’s coming next in food and drink… and even supplements, wellness, and beauty.
As someone who has spent more than a decade in the natural products industry, Expo West is one of the highlights of my year. It’s part inspiration, part research, part catching up with industry friends (many who have turned into real-life friends and even have a permanent spot on our Christmas card list), and brands I’ve worked with for years — and of course, part snack tasting.
Expo West 2026 did not disappoint.
From high-protein innovations to cleaner ingredient swaps, nostalgic snacks with better ingredients, and some really exciting new brands I can’t wait to share with you, there is always a lot to take in, absorb, process, and eventually put into words.
So in this post, I’m sharing the biggest trends I noticed walking the show floor — and giving you a little behind-the-scenes look at what stood out this year.
One of my favorite parts of Expo West is seeing trends start to take shape in real time. When you walk thousands of booths back-to-back, patterns start to emerge pretty quickly.
In years past we saw keto EVERYTHING and vegan meats (ew).
This year, a few trends were impossible to miss.
Protein is clearly still having a major moment, but it’s evolving beyond the typical powders and bars. For years the industry leaned heavily on protein shakes and snack bars, but now brands are getting much more creative about where protein shows up. I’ve seen so many memes about adding protein to cigarettes etc (hence the meme).
This year I saw protein in places it normally doesn’t appear — especially clear protein drinks and protein waters, which were everywhere. Instead of the traditional creamy shake texture, brands are creating light, juice-style drinks that still pack a decent protein punch. It’s a completely different experience from the chalky protein drinks many of us grew up with. I actually like the idea of them but I don’t consume much whey protein which is what it is. If I were to choose one it would be Waay.
Protein also popped up in desserts, candies, cereals, granolas, ice creams, and even sparkling beverages. It’s clear that consumers still want higher protein, but they’re also looking for more enjoyable and convenient ways to get it throughout the day rather than relying on one big shake.
And honestly, I’m not mad about it. Protein being trendy isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Protein is one of the most important foundations of a balanced diet — it supports muscle health, metabolism, blood sugar balance, and helps keep you full longer after meals.
Many people historically under-eat protein, especially at breakfast and snacks, so seeing more protein-forward options can actually help people build more balanced meals. Of course, quality still matters. The source of the protein, the ingredient list, and how processed the product is all play a role. But overall, this is one trend that actually supports better nutrition rather than just hype.
Dates were absolutely everywhere this year — but not just as a sweetener. In many cases, they were the star of the product itself. I saw everything from sour dates and stuffed dates to chocolate-covered dates and candies built almost entirely around dates. I love dates so I’m here for this.
Dates are naturally sweet, contain fiber, and have that rich caramel-like flavornthat works really well in better-for-you desserts. Another reason they’re gaining popularity is that consumers are becoming more ingredient-aware. Many shoppers are actively looking for simpler sweeteners and recognizable ingredients, and dates check a lot of those boxes.
That said, it will be interesting to see how far this trend goes. Dates can be delicious, but they are still sugar-dense, so I’m curious to see whether brands continue building entire product lines around them or if they remain more of a better-for-you dessert niche. I saw one product and I can’t remember what it was but it was a date based bar or snack and it also had added sugar to it. Dates are sweet enough in my opinion.
Either way, if you love dates, this is definitely your moment.
Functional ingredients continue to grow, and mushrooms seem to be leading the charge.
Adaptogenic mushrooms like lion’s mane, cordyceps, and reishi were showing up in everything from coffee and beverages to snacks, supplements, and powders and even bone broth. What started a few years ago mostly in mushroom coffee has now expanded into an entire category of functional foods.
I LOVE mushrooms … well I love reishi, chaga, cordyceps and lions mane type of mushrooms. I drink a mushroom coffee everyday so I’m fully aware and supportive of this trend. The idea behind adaptogens is that they may help the body better adapt to stress and support things like focus, energy, immune health, and overall resilience. Lion’s mane is often associated with cognitive support and brain function, cordyceps is commonly linked to energy and endurance, and reishi tends to show up in products aimed at relaxation and immune support. My favorite is Chaga. Chaga is a functional mushroom prized for its powerful antioxidants and long history in traditional wellness. It’s commonly used to support immune health, reduce inflammation, and help the body handle stress more effectively.
One interesting thing I noticed this year was trend stacking — brands combining multiple functional ingredients into a single product. For example, mushroom coffee with added protein, functional beverages with adaptogens and electrolytes, or supplements combining mushrooms with other plant compounds. Companies are making products to be a “one product does it all” type thing to make it easier for consumers. In my opinion a little gimmicky but I get the idea behind it.
Consumers who truly care about ingredients and read labels are looking for products that do more than just taste good. They want their food and drinks to support how they feel, how they perform, and how they recover.
Functional ingredients like mushrooms fit right into that.
Overall, the big theme I noticed this year was functionality.
Foods that don’t just taste good, but also offer something extra — whether that’s protein, functional ingredients, or simpler sweeteners. It’ll be interesting to see which of these trends really stick over the next year.
One thing I wish I saw more of, though, was brands stepping away from seed oils. Like come on… get with the picture! There are so many incredible products and thoughtful founders at Expo West, but I still see too many brands relying on canola, sunflower, soybean, or other seed oils when there are better options available. I could care less if it’s organic… the seed oils have to go.
Another thing that people truly don’t realize is how much it actually costs for these brands to be there — something most consumers never see. For many small brands, showing up at Expo West is a HUGE financial risk. Booth space alone can cost thousands of dollars, and that’s before you factor in booth design, shipping pallets of product, travel, hotels, staffing the booth for multiple days, and the massive amount of free samples they give away. For some early-stage companies, a huge portion of their yearly marketing budget goes into this one event. And the hope is that it pays off.
Brands are at the show hoping the right buyers, distributors, or retailers walk by their booth, try the product, and decide it belongs on store shelves.
But even when a store loves a product, getting onto shelves isn’t always simple. There are often slotting fees, promotions, demos, discounts, end-cap placements, and marketing commitments that all cost money too.
It’s a high-stakes environment.
And unfortunately, a lot of brands don’t make it.
Over the years I’ve collected more than a few Expo tote bags, frothers, and coffee mugs from companies that no longer exist.
Behind every booth is a founder who poured their savings, their time, and their belief into that product — they started with a story, a purpose, a reason to jump all in with their great product. They are just hoping that Expo West was wroth it and praying this might be the year it takes off.
Sometimes it does.
But a lot of times, it doesn’t.
RIP to so many brands that made a huge impact on Krysten’s Kitchen over the years but are no longer around.
After walking thousands of booths, tasting more snacks than I can count, bringing a lot home because we’re local (haha) and narrowing it down (which was not easy), I pulled together my Top 10 favorite finds from Expo West 2026.
Some are brand new products launching soon, some are products you can already find in stores, and a few are brands I think are going to have a very big year.
👉 You can see my full Top 10 list here over on pickax.
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