Best Products at Expo East

Hi everyone!  Last week, I took a quick trip down to Baltimore to go to Natural Products Expo East with my blogging (and real life) friend Alexa.  This expo (which also occurs in the west at another time of year) brings together companies of all sizes to show off their latest and greatest products that are all centered around healthy living.  There's everything from paleo to vegan to gluten free food, as well as supplements, body products, and stuff for your home.  There's a little bit of everything!

There were so many different companies that we got to meet, and we ate SO MUCH FOOD.  We started the day with a sponsored breakfast, and tried food and drinks at pretty much every stall that caught our eye (and there were a lot).  Even though we tried a lot of different products, there were a few that stood out for me: (in no particular order)

Don't Go Nuts
Roasted Soybean Spread

This was one of the first products that I tried, and it stayed in my mind for the entire show.  I love how creamy and rich these spreads tasted, and the perfectly sized mini tubs for work.  I feel like this is going to be a new staple of mine! The company also has granola bars which were tasty as well!  If you have kids in school, these are a great treat to get since they are nut free!

Available on Amazon

Loving Earth
Salted Caramel Chocolate

I found a vegan chocolate bar that is AMAAAAAZING.  I tried every single flavor that the Good Earth booth had, and (while it was hard to choose) my favorite was the Salted Caramel.  The texture is so smooth and creamy, and the chocolate has a slight coconut taste, but it doesn't overpower the amazing flavors.  

Available on My Brands

Anita's
Coconut Yogurt

I've been trying a lot of vegan yogurts lately, and they've all been pretty horrible.  Not only do I find the taste strange (Alexa described one brand as carboard-tasting and I agree), but the texture always seems to be incredibly off-putting.  Who wants a soupy mess with random chunks in it?  Not me!  As soon as I tasted this brand, I knew it was a winner.  The texture is thick and luxurious, while the taste was similar to a regular Greek yogurt with a slight coconut taste.  I know that this brand is sold at my local Whole Foods, so I'm definitely going to pick some up in the future!

Available at local stores

BARE Republic
Tinted Mineral Sunscreen

I was really excited to see this brand at the expo, because I always see it at Target and pass it by.  I finally got to try it out, and I am ONLY going to buy this brand of sunscreen in the future.  This is a company that is owned by Coola, who makes a luxury sunscreen that's sold at Target.  To make a more affordable option, Coola created BARE Republic, which is somehow just as luxurious and amazing.  This version is slightly tinted, which adds a tiny bit of coverage to your skin while still looking completely natural.

Available at Target

Spindrift

Sparkling Water

This is another brand that I've seen on shelves, but have never picked up.  Man, was I missing out!  I've been trying to cut back on pop for the past few years, and have been reaching for sparkling water instead.  What's great about this brand is that instead of using "natural flavors", it uses actual fruit.  I tried out their new flavor, strawberry, and could actually taste the real strawberries used.  All of the flavors that I tried out were great, but I think I'm going to get a case of cucumber first.  Apparently it's a great mixer for gin ;)

Available pretty much everywhere

Thayers

Witch Hazel Toner

Alexa pointed out this booth, since she tried their toner in the past and loved it.  The ladies working the booth were really generous, and I ended up with samples of a few different types of toner, spray, and lip balm.  All of them are absolutely amazing and leave my skin feeling clean and soft.  Since toner lasts a long time, I will be able to use my samples for a while!  As soon as I run out, I know I'll be buying more of it.  

Available on Amazon

To be honest, I could go on about all of the amazing food and drinks and products that I tried.  It was so hard to narrow it down to a few, but I wanted to keep this post nice and short!

What are some of your favorite natural brands?
Have you ever been to a food expo?