Natural Products Expo West always feels a little like peeking into the future of food. Thousands of brands, miles of booths and more samples than a human stomach should reasonably handle.
After walking the floor this year, here’s what stood out to us Westies.
Protein and Fiber are the new "IT" Couple
If there was a headline nutrient this year, it was these two: protein and fiber.
Snack brands, beverages and even desserts are leaning into this duo. For consumers, food is increasingly expected to provide something good for us, not just taste good. And the market has responded with packaging proudly highlighting grams of protein or fiber, often first.
Catalina Crunch is focused on starting your day stronger with Strawberry Strudel cereal with 10g of protein per serving and Chomps chiming in with a savory breakfast chicken stick with 12g of protein for just 80 calories. And it didn’t stop at breakfast and snacks, Loopini protein-packed pizza really hit it home with 18g of fiber and 50g of protein per pie.
Ingredient Brands to the Front
Consumers want to know what’s inside their food. Not just the flavor…the ingredient. Instead of hiding behind formulations, companies are putting their hero ingredient first.
Brands aren’t just talking about flavor anymore, they’re putting their hero ingredients first and showing consumers exactly what makes their food special. A great example is Chino Valley Ranchers’ Jammy Eggs, a ready-to-eat soft-boiled egg format that took nearly six years of research, innovation and data to perfect - all to save consumers about six minutes in the kitchen. Inspired in part by CEO Chris Nichols’ childhood around Asian cuisine, where soft-boiled and marinated eggs are everyday staples, Jammy transforms a simple ingredient into an accessible format that opens new applications across retail and foodservice. It’s a small product with a big cultural tailwind, tapping into the broader rise of ramen eggs, marinated eggs and the unmistakable “jammy” moment happening across food culture right now.
We also saw this on the sweet side of things, with dates taking center stage. Companies like French Squirrel and Joolies are pushing dates into the mainstream, with many rightfully claiming nature’s candy is officially back. Coated, dipped and filled with unique flavors like sour peach and peanut butter-stuffed, dates are not just in smoothies anymore. We saw them showing up in snack bars, as candy and used in syrups as brands look for natural sweetness without refined sugar.
Free From… (Fill in the Blank)
Clean food continues its mainstream run, hitting the frozen food aisle and beyond. Quick and easy meals are getting a face lift from better-for-you ingredients and more global flavors.
Matka Pierogi brings beloved potato and cheese together in a handmade format using only organic and locally-sourced ingredients. Nowhere Bakery showed up offering soft-baked cookies that boast no gluten, no seed oils, no refined sugar and are plant-based and paleo to boot.
The laundry list of items consumers are no longer willing to consume are growing and there are plenty of brands ready to check that list and still offer delicious bites.
Drinks, Drinks and More Drinks
And we’re not just talking at the bar. If there was one category that dominated the floor, it was beverages. From collagen drinks to clear protein beverages and functional hydration, brands continue to push the boundaries of what a drink can deliver nutritionally - including our MD’s favorite: protein lemonade. Brands like Polka Dot showcased functional products featuring cordyceps and reishi, taking the science of hydrating to a whole new level. The throughline: beverages are becoming one of the easiest ways for consumers to integrate wellness into daily routines.
Heritage Fats Are Back on the Menu
For years, the natural foods world moved away from traditional animal fats. This year, they came roaring back.
Beef tallow made a surprisingly strong showing across the show floor, particularly in the chip category. Brands like Hola Mija and Vandy Classic showcased tortilla chips fried in beef tallow instead of seed oils, leaning into both flavor and simplicity.
At the same time, dairy is having a quiet resurgence. After years of oat, almond and coconut dominating the conversation, brands are rediscovering the power of the real thing. Companies like Sourmilk are focused on your gut health with plain greek yogurt, while legacy brands like Stoneyfield are telling the milk story from new angles, focused all around farm practices.
Whether it’s tallow in the fryer or cream back in the carton, Expo West made one thing clear: animal products aren’t disappearing. They’re evolving, with a bigger emphasis on sourcing, transparency, storytelling and doing things the old-school way.
Westies Look Ahead
Being a part of the food system means always keeping eyes on the past, the present and the future of food. Here’s what we see coming to the forefront in the next year:
One surprising takeaway from Expo West this year: the biggest breakthroughs weren’t always in the food itself, but in how it’s packaged, positioned and merchandised. Across categories, brands are rethinking formats — from resealable snack packs to hybrid pantry items — designed to fit how people actually eat today. In many cases, the innovation wasn’t a new ingredient, but a smarter way to deliver it.
This year, we saw that a flashy booth presence alone doesn’t translate to lasting impressions or real leads. As larger, more elaborate booths become the norm, it raises the question: are brands showing up to connect, or simply to keep up appearances? In some cases, brands relied on hired models to represent their booths, but without the ability to speak to the product, the experience felt surface-level. Looking ahead, we expect a shift toward more intentional booth spaces that help people connect versus simply catch attention.
Another emerging signal is the growing role of sauces, spreads and accompaniments, the flavor boosters that make simple meals feel complete. As GLP-1 medications reshape eating habits and smaller portions become more common, consumers are increasingly looking for foods that deliver high flavor in smaller bites. Expect 2027 to bring a wave of premium sauces, condiments and finishing elements designed to elevate lighter meals.
One noticeable gap this year was the relative absence of truly fresh innovation. While the show floor was full of well-preserved snacks and shelf-stable formats, the next wave of opportunity may lie in fresh, produce-forward products that bring the same creativity to fruits and vegetables. If Expo West is a glimpse of the future, we hope 2027 brings a renewed focus on fresh foods that celebrate ingredients in their most natural form.
We’re watching food evolve from nourishment to function, with products infused with adaptogens, mushrooms and other functional ingredients that support energy, mood and overall wellness moving into everyday formats like beverages, snacks and pantry staples. For ag, this shift raises the stakes. The ingredient is no longer just part of the product, it is the proof behind the claim, pushing expectations upstream to how it is grown and sourced. Looking ahead, the brands that win will not just add functionality. They will be able to trace it back to the field.
We’d like to see Expo West truly go green. For a show centered on natural foods, the amount of trash is hard to ignore. There’s an opportunity for Expo to rethink materials, sampling systems and even composting. We cannot wait to see this show take more of a sustainable, natural approach.
