If you’ve been following along on Instagram stories, you know I attended Expo West in Anaheim again this year. The energy, enthusiasm and innovation were back and I’m here for it. The crowds were a bit intimidating, but it was possible to find some less crowded areas and to spend time talking to some great brands. [Check out my Instagram reel and story highlights]
Unlike last year, I was not jet lagged to start with, so that was a plus! The format was 2 and 1/2 days like last year and all of the halls stayed open throughout the time. This helped with some of the congestion, but I still feel like I should have covered more ground. I did see a lot, meet a lot of cool people and visit with friends. I found a lot of great new products and extensions from some of my favorite brands.
Trends I Saw at Expo West ’26
- “IN” This Year: Protein in EVERYTHING, added FIBER (lots of “poop talk”), Women’s Health (including perimenopause and menopause – yay!), Date Candy (saw this at Sweets & Snacks and love it!) Hydration “Plus”, Non Alcoholic Cocktails (but not as much as last year), Meat Sticks (because protein), Mushroom Everything, International Flavors, Savory, Functional Beverages, Pizza and Interesting Baking Mixes, Tortilla Chips
- “OUT” This Year: Vitamin Strips/Chewables for Adults, GLP-1 Boosting (this was a surprise), Probiotic Sodas (still there but not as trendy), Nootroopics/Brain Health (still there but not like last year), Popcorn and Puffs, Jerky, Keto/sugar free, CBD, Cauliflower, Seed Oils, Avocado, Caffeinated Everything, Focus on Kids Snacks.
Day 1
I started the day with a run organized by Ketone IQ. It was very well attended and a bunch of other fitness brands came with products to share! I did 5K with the group and a couple of miles myself. It was a great start to the day.
I went to the main gate to get my badge this year, so I started with the A Halls. The A Hall is where many of the big brands are with big booths and activations. I chatted with Justin’s (and found out that they are reestablishing as a company after selling to Hormel) and grabbed some new “Ring Pop” flavored and Energy Boost Liquid IV. I tried a new Hydrogen sparkling water with magnesium from oHy. I spotted Cottage Cheese Crust Pizza from Tattooed Chef. [I expected to see a ton of cottage cheese but I didn’t.]
I checked out Sunsweet’s new Plum Good juice. I spotted JB’s Revel Protein Bars and realized that they are the flapjack style bars from the UK reformulated for the American market. I’m SO excited because I get these in London and used to be able to find them here. They’re coming soon to Amazon. Marissa and I met up and grabbed a bunch of goodies from Bloom Nutrition [I wanted to try the soda but I didn’t want to carry a can] and some new shelf stable pickles from Bubbie’s. Yum!
I headed over to the beauty and self care products to check out Badger’s new sunscreen options. Badger launched a new SPF 40 Tinted Face Sunscreen and SPF 50 Daily Sunscreen to expand their organic and reef-safe line. They’re water and sweat resistant for up to 40 minutes, biodegradable and packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic tubes. The tinted is super light and looks great.
I saw a TON of women’s health products (and lots of vaginas ;). I chatted with the women at Honey Pot and grabbed some probiotics from pH-D Feminine Health. I was pleased to see a ton of female focused products and supplements all over. O Positiv had a huge booth, too. Menopause and perimenopause were hot again this year – pun intended.
I stopped by Thanks! Naturals to meet Harley. This self-care line is a self-love line, too. She told me that research shows that for every negative comment, it takes 6 affirmations to counteract the negativity. Their products have 6 affirmations on each one. Love this! I checked out The Ginger People’s new products. The organic ginger spread is perfect for charcuterie boards and I love the Rescue Immunity line.
I popped in to grab some Gruns fiber gummies. They had a massive booth and a zillion samples were gone by the afternoon. I popped over to see Catherine and grabbed some of Simple Mills new products. I swung by GuruNanda to get their new toothpaste and travel toothbrush.
I went over to the Hot Products area to try Oolie dips and meet with Defi Snacks. Oolie dips were some of my faves last year – they’re made with upcycled eggs. They’re high in protein and come in amazing flavors. I got to try the yogurt this year. It has a custard like texture. I love the Key Lime. We tried yummy, award winning chocolate from 7th Heaven (Dubai still a big trend), met Lex from Lexington Bakes IRL and then tried Little Latke’s potato snacks.
I stopped by to meet Tatyana from Defi Snacks. I recently featured these yummy “healthy indulgences” with gourmet chocolate, buckwheat and casein protein on the blog. We’re going to do an additional giveaway on Instagram so stay tuned! We tasted some great mixers and NA mojitos from Owl’s Brew and saw my friends from Little Zing Danish Mustard (another 2025 fave). I grabbed some samples from Unbroken – a new hydration mix with amino acids from salmon to improve absorption and digestion.
I grabbed some of Wonder Juice’s new Veg8+ Cayenne. We tested it out before the show and I’m obsessed. I grabbed some Craize corn crackers – the new Jalapeno Lime is my new fave. I had a little fun at the Goodles booth and then tasted two of my favorite crackers by Firehook. They’re launching limited edition Spiced Chocolate and Dill Pickle. Both were AMAZING!
I headed over to see EO Products to see if I could tell synthetic from real essential oils. I did pretty well and it was super fun to see if I could do it. I got lavender correct off the bat and thought both of the geranium smells were natural. C+ but I got some of their new spray deodorant to try and hand cream for my “efforts.”
We checked out the Press Room and then headed outside. I grabbed some LOVE Water and new K-Crisps salad toppers from Gimme Seaweed.
Marissa and I went back to the hotel and then went to happy hour sponsored by Pepsico. We tried new 75% less sugar Gatorade, high fiber Smartfood and Sun Chips, new Warrior Meat Sticks and more.
Day 1 Haul
Stay tuned for part 2 of my recap! I have a lot more to share!
Which products or trends do you want to see in more detail on the blog?
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links, I’ll receive a small commission. Check out many of these and previous finds on my Amazon list!