(Experience Magazine) — The most wonderful time of the year – Expo West season. If you don’t already know about Expo West, it is a health food and lifestyle convention showcasing the hottest new brands as well as new products from the brands we all know and love – soooomany of them! Getting to see and sample new products before they hit shelves is one of my all time favorite pastimes. Now, I’m going to share with you my top 5 from Expo West 2025. Let’s dive in.
Best Alternative “Meat”
I’ve been searching for a vegan, gluten free deli meat. Unfortunately, most common brands at the grocery store contain seitan (aka not gluten free). FINALLY, an answer to my prayers! Enter, Prime Roots. Not only are ALL their products gluten free (and top-9 allergen free), but they are also tasty! My personal favorite is the pepperoni, it added so much flavor to my wrap. And, compared to other vegan options, the texture is pretty darn good thanks to the main ingredient: koji. In addition to Kojiproviding a similar texture found in deli meats, it also contributes to that umami flavor we are all hardwired to love. Unlike deli meats, there is no cholesterol, nitrates, antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, artificial colors, flavors or GMOsfound in any of the Prime Roots products. Most important of all, as I am a registered dietitian by trade, it is a great source of protein. A typical sandwich prepared with Prime Roots deli’sprovide between 10-20g from the meat alone – very impressive; this is comparable to a sandwich made with traditional deli meat, minus all the bad stuff. It’s a win-win. I highly recommend trying Prime Roots which, in the greater Los Angeles area, can be found at the deli section at Lassen’s and Lazy Acres.
Best Gluten Free Bread
Back in the day, gluten free bread used to taste like cardboard. Nowadays, thankfully nearly all the gluten free bread brands taste decent, at least when they are toasted. No toast, no thanks. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered a new brand – Promise. Their bread tastes great UNTOASTED. AND they have brioche bread, which is extra fluffy, essentially unheard of in the gluten free world. It was a very exciting day for me. I promise you, Promise is good. The only caveat, they are still not in US grocery stores… BUT if you would like to try this Canadian product, you can purchase it online on their website.
Best Water
There were two waters that I loved so much but were so different, so I’ll include both:
Best Traditional Water
Sourced from Norway, Eira is naturally filtered by layers of glacial moraine. Truly, I have never tasted a water so fresh and clean. It is no wonder they have won multiple global awards for their taste and quality. Yet, the most exciting fact about their water is that it is the water of choice by MICHELIN-starred restaurants worldwide. You may have already tried this water without even knowing it! Although their regular water is good, their sparkling is even better. That’s saying a lot since I have a preference towards still water. But Eira’s sparking water is perfection. The bubbles are fine and hit softly on your palate. It’s the Dom Perignon of sparking water.
Best Health Water
Being a Registered Dietitian and living with GI issues my whole life, I am obsessed with probiotics. I am a huge proponent for food first, but a lot of the probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, and kombucha that we buy at the grocery store have been sitting on the shelves so long that they hardly have any probiotics left by the time they are consumed! Shocking but true. So put down your kombucha and listen up. If you are looking for a probiotic vitamin water, look no further. Go get Karma probiotic water. It has a push cap containing all the vitamins and probiotic cultures that you insert into the water when YOU are ready to drink it. This preserves the potency of the probiotics. Karma even conducted studies showing how the microbial content in kombucha degrades with shelf life, unlike their product. Plus, their water tastes good! I’m not big on flavored water or stevia, but somehow it works. They have a ton a fun flavors – I tried strawberry lemonade and highly recommend it! This can be found at Target, Walmart, Amazon, Rite Aid, 7/11 and many more places!
Best Cause
Of course, it was impossible for me to visit all the booths at the convention, however, from what I saw Grady’s Garden stole my heart. Grady’s Garden produces chef-crafted pasta sauces and salsas loaded with veggies and fresh ingredients. What’s even better than their products is their mission. Their profits go towards Grady’s Classroom, an afterschool and elementary school program, they created that teaches children and their families how to eat healthy, garden, and live mindfully. Their goal is to empower children to improve their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. Learn about the curriculum and how to bring it to your area at gradysclassroom.org.
Best Household Product
Our least favorite part of the meal process – the clean-up. Let that be hassle free with Tru Earth, the creators of the original laundry detergent strip. In addition to being trailblazers of the laundry world, they also produce an eco-friendly dishwasher tablet. Contrary to popular belief, they do NOT recommend pre-rinsing your dishes! In fact, they suggest leaving the mess on as it acts as a natural abrasive, helping to achieve a deeper clean while also conserving water—a win-win for efficiency and sustainability. Their dishwasher tablets tackle grease and residuejust as effectively as Cascade. However, Tru Earth offers something Cascade does not: a formula that is phosphate-free, chlorine-free, and plastic-free. This makes it a healthier choice for both your home and the planet. The packaging won’t end up in a landfill, and the absence of harmful chemicals ensures marine wildlife remains safe.
Expo West never disappoints, and this year was no exception. From game-changing pantry staples to planet-friendly innovations, these standout products prove that better-for-you can also mean better-tasting and better-living. Until next year, keep exploring—and keep supporting brands that are doing good while doing great.
