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Expo East 2023 Wellness Trends and Highlights

09/25/23

Wellness trends and highlights from Expo East 2023 | Marissa Vicario

Last week’s Natural Products Expo, Expo East was the last one – EVER – as New Hope sunsets the natural foods event and rolls out a new, smaller-scale event called Newtopia Now. I received the news as I left NYC to travel to Philadelphia and felt a little sad and sentimental as I recalled my many years at the show.

As a women’s wellness influencer and creator, I started attending Expo East at the New Hope Influencer Summit. Eventually, that event halted and gave way to a new creator summit this year sponsored by the Food + Wellness Equity Collective.

Needless to say, I went to Expo East this year, fully eager to embrace my experience for the very last time and with my eyes wide open to the emerging wellness trends in the natural products industry.

Expo East 2023 Wellness Trends:

Regenerative Agriculture and Upcycling

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that aims to use and conserve natural resources during the process of food farming. It focuses on crop rotation and soil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle and an overall resilience to climate change.

One of the brands I met, White Leaf Provisions, is focused on regenerative farming in the production of their baby food. When Valentina was an infant, there was a lot of talk about arsenic in baby food. Through the process of regenerative farming, White Leaf Provisions has one of the first regeneratively farmed, biodynamic, organic and GMO-free baby food lines.

Another brand, bake Me Healthy, uses up-cycled ingredients in their vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly baking mixes. For example, the brownie mix contains up cycled coffee cherries, the plants that house coffee beans.

Wellness Trends at Expo East 2023 | Marissa Vicario | regenerative farming and up cycling

Gut Health

If the amount of pre and probiotic sparkling drinks and sodas available at Expo East is any indication, gut health is top of mind in the food industry. Traditional soda contains artificial sweeteners, acids and added sugars that can cause digestive issues, inflammation and a host of other issues categorized as “leaky gut symdrome”

The healthier sodas aim to replace the unhealthy drinks by adding prebiotic fiber that feeds the good bacteria in your gut as well as contain probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, that supports the gut.

Brands to try:

Olipop

Wildwonder

Healthy Fats

Brain health

Immunity

Immunity-boosting vitamins infused into your favorite foods and drinks? Why not? Brands are riding the immunity wave and giving immune-boosting benefits to their products.

Brands to Try:

Cloud Water

Core Foods

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Sobriety is in as more and more people give up drinking alcohol in favor of better sleep an a clearer mind. Admittedly, I’m sober curious and have always liked to pour a drink that feels a little more special than plain water into a wine glass the times I choose not to drink alcohol.

Some brands to try:

Mocktail Club

Soiree

Says

Plant-based

The plant-based trend has been on the rise ever since I started attending Expo East as food manufacturers aim to help Americans eat more plants in any form – soups, milks and even chips.

Brands to try:

I Eat My Greens

Strive Free Milk (animal-free whey protein) – I like the chocolate best

Root Foods – Six Mix

High Protein

Protein is king and getting protein from more than just animal products misbecoming increasingly popular. You can find proton in everything from bread to pasta. I tried the most delicious high-protein bread (10 grams per slice!) from Equii and Zenb makes great-tasting protein pasta and crackers. And of course, protein bars and powders

brands to try:

Equii

Zenb

Catalina Crunch

Plant protein

Riding the protein wave, plant-based protein is having a moment as more consumers are realizing it’s not just for vegans!

Brands to try:

Pirq

Mezcla

Endurance Protein Chips

I’ll miss this show and all the connections I’ve made with brands over the years!

Read past Expo East round-ups:

Highlights from Expo East 2017 
Top Five Food Trends from Expo East 2018 
Top Five Food Trends from Expo East 2019
Expo East 2021 Highlights

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About Me


Welcome! My name is Marissa and I’m a lover of all things health and wellness.As a NYC-based board-Certified Wellness Coach and Healthy Living Expert, I share my own health secrets, get-fit tips and the cooking expertise that has inspired countless women to change their relationship with food and turbocharge their health to become holistically hot in a way that’s fun and fearless.
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Pasta has a bad reputation for being high in carbs Pasta has a bad reputation for being high in carbs. First of all, there's absolutely nothing wrong with carbs or pasta, but did you know you can also get a good hit of protein with your pasta?

These are some of my favorite higher protein pasta alternatives:

1. Egg Fetttuccine - hear me out on this one. It doesn't offer more protein than a serving of regular white pasta at 8 grams but there's something that sets it apart for me and that's its denser, chewier texture. I choose this over white pasta often especially with tomato-based sauces. Bump up the protein content with chicken or shrimp which pair well with this.

2. Red Lentil Pasta - Even my daughter is a fan of this one. It clocks in at 25 grams of protein per serving and it's also high in fiber. 

3. Yellow Pea Pasta - I love this one for a macaroni and cheese-style recipe (or a dairy-free version made with butternut squash). It has 17 grams of protein and is also fiber-rich. 

There are many more high protein options like whole wheat, chickpea and black bean pasta, but these three are my faves. Have you tried any of these? If so, what did you think?
I stopped at @target for a few things and this swe I stopped at @target for a few things and this sweater caught my eye. I wondered if it was meant to be a "tacky Christmas sweater" for several minutes (my husband even asked me if we were going to an ugly Christmas sweater party when I put it on) while simultaneously imagining all the ways I would style it and I said F it and bought it anyway!

I love the non-traditional Fair Isle print. it's also soft and not itchy. This and everything else I'm wearing is linked on my @shop.ltk or go here: https://liketk.it/4pwvt (I swear, one day I will automate my links!)

The blazer is @endlessrose rented from @renttherunway (code for 30% off your first month to try it is RTRMARISSA - sign up link is in my bio).
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Valentina was invited to model for @nykrunway in h Valentina was invited to model for @nykrunway in her first fashion show and today she walked for @joancalabrese !

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Thank you @nykrunway and @joancalabrese for this opportunity! Look out for a reel about our journey to the runway. 

*posted with Valentina's permission
After a long IG hiatus when I became a Mom, I felt After a long IG hiatus when I became a Mom, I felt lost here on this platform, but in March, I re-committed to it. I decided I could continue playing small so everyone would like me/ I wouldn't offend anyone or I could take up the space I was meant to so I could reach and help more people. Spending more time and energy here has had some incredible and unexpected returns including growing my audience, landing new brand partnerships with @adidas and @madewell to name a couple and making virtual connections with supportive women with whom I have things in common and who are also showing up here in a big way for their own reasons. 

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