This past weekend, #TeamCookIt headed out to Philadelphia to attend Expo East! They spent two days taste testing new products, meeting with up and coming brands, and getting some face time with a few members of the #CookItCrew (shout-out Ed, Jill, Tim, Erin, and Amy)!
Here’s a look inside our biggest takeaways from the event.
Trends:
- Popcorn is making a comeback!
- Better-for-you candy sweetened with sugar alternatives, like monk fruit and allulose
- Food in pouches – it’s not just for kids!
- Functional wellness for mental health, stress, and anxiety
- Sustainability – upcycled foods, organic stewardship, regenerative agriculture, reducing waste and responsible packaging
- Fruits and veggie snacks, any which way – chewy, dried, gummy, dehydrated, puffed, chips…the list goes on and on!
- Root vegetables showing up in convenient ways – think chips, french fries, croutons, and dehydrated snacks
- Iterations of vegan comfort food, like vegan fried chicken, mac and cheese, and pizza
- Avocado as an alt protein base
- Alternative eggs
- Water – Sparkling, still, infused, functional, flavored…you name it, it’s trending
- Mocktails and zero-proof spirits
- Caffeinated snacks and cleaner energy drinks
Tasty products and exciting brands:
- Carrot chews by Eat The Change
- Organic popcorn by Lesser Evil
- Liquid eggs by Spero
- Avocado based products by FreshCourt
- Snacking Pickles by Cleveland Kitchen
- Flavored water pouches by ShineWater
- Diabetes-friendly sports drinks by Swey
- Hummus pouches from Ithaca
- Flavored vegan milks from NotCo
- Organic chocolate snack bars from Honey Mama’s
What trends are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
