ALONG COMES MARY

Back in March, I couldn’t wait to attend Expo West. Often called the “Super Bowl” for natural food products, the massive week-long convention was once again happening in Anaheim. I had not attended since before the pandemic and was eager to return. Although I headed down an evening early in a rainstorm and made it to my motel, I ended up not making it. I’d been plagued with lingering sickness and thought I could power through. I was too ill that morning and knew there was no way I could put in the effort. I’ve been disappointed ever since. There were so many brands I wanted to connect with and share about.

Then, I got to thinking, why let this stop me? I can still chat about some of my current favorite cleaner food brands. I love to post about wellness and ways I attempt to stay healthy. Hopefully, I will be back and at ‘em next spring at Expo West. Until then, here are some of those go-tos of mine. Cheers!

My Expo West Must Try Brands

Wedderspoon Manuka Honey

With so many honey brands out there, it can be confusing to know what’s what. Honey is a broad nutrient. Raw, conventional, that kind in the cute bear jar, manuka. One of the most beneficial kinds out there is the certainly latter. It’s an antioxidant powerhouse with a plethora of benefits for treating illnesses, especially of the bacterial kind. 

I first discovered Wedderspoon while shopping at Whole Foods. A sampling demo was happening, and even Mabel couldn’t get enough. While my eyes did do a bit of sticker shock, I soon learned that it’s honestly worth the 30-plus dollars it often is. Manuka honey is all about the “MGO,” methylglyoxal. The higher the number this is, the more potent and full of immunity benefits it will have. Wedderspoon offers several different levels for both your body and wallet’s needs. 

Thanks to a super generous box of goodies from Wedderspoon, we’ve been using this jar as well as their throat spray and honey lollipops. The pops are, of course, a hit with Mabel. 

Solely Fruit Snacks

Ok. I’ll admit that it pained me to see the beautiful, huge center booth for Solely at Expo West on social media. I would have been all over this. In my ongoing efforts to limit candy, junk, and processed or refined sugars, Solely checks every box for goodness. Their line of dried fruit jerky is delicious. Mabel and I devour them. Even better? They’re also all organic. 

Solely offers fruit jerky, dried fruits, and fruit “gummies” that are literally just pressed organic fruits. I will say that we’ve yet to become a big fan of the gummies but are all over the fruit jerky. The one downside? Mabel’s dentist did warn us that dried fruit is a great culprit for cavities. I was floored she could tell it’s a favorite snack of ours at her last visit. So, try to brush after enjoying.

Califia Farms

Califia is a complex brand. Some of their products I would not encourage like their conventional nut milks (natural flavors, oils, and gums galore) but their organic milks? They’re just my style. We buy almond and coconut frequently and they’re to-the-point ingredients like water, organic nuts, and sea salt. 

Although their coffee creamers do have natural flavorings (bleh), they’re still better than brands like Coffee-Mate or International Delight which are actually banned in several countries. Fun fact, to keep it “real”: I actually love the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s espresso. It’s far from organic or pesticide-free, I know, but I often order an iced double shot and bring my own Califia milk to avoid the cheap Oatly milk the coffee chain uses. Am I eccentric? Sure. Does it taste amazing and a bit healthier? Yep. 

Bonus brand: Elmhurst 1925 is good, too. Their entire line is very clean with the exception of the natural flavors in the coffee creamers. They’re not yet organic but Mabel and I love the hazelnut milk which is literally just water and hazelnuts. 

Truvani Protein Powder

I still am unsure about pea protein but I do love me this brand for an easy 20 grams of protein per scoop. Truvani is an extremely clean brand and most powders have five basic ingredients max. Similar to Solely, Truvani had a beautiful center booth and display at Expo West. I would have fangirled to stop by. I buy the vanilla powder, add fruit like organic wild blueberries, and blend with Califia milk or coconut water. 

Truvani recently launched snack bars as well. Mike likes them but they’re a bit chalky for me. For bars, I tend to gobble up the GoMacro protein bars. A lot of days I’m on the go with Mabel and use this as a meal replacement. They average 12 grams of protein and 35 carbs. Their brown rice syrup goes through a certification to ensure it’s clean and once again, that’s talking my neurotic food language.

Simple Mills

The only time Mabel usually has common kid-targeted brands like Oreos or Goldfish is at school or gatherings. At home, we opt for everything fun and snack-y from Simple Mills. They offer all of the similar grab and go munchies without the harsh ingredients like seed oils and chemicals you cannot even pronounce. Their crunchy chocolate chip cookies are gluten and dairy-free, sweetened with coconut suagr, and taste so much better than the leading brand (Looking at you, Chips Ahoy).

We’re also huge fans of their honey cinnamon crackers that blow conventional graham crackers out of the water. The Farmhouse Cheddar crackers are also ideal when you want that Cheez It style fix without multiple seed oil blend.

Bitchin’ Sauce

Just the name alone tells you this is a fun brand. Bitchin’ Sauces are completely vegan and gluten-free. Since I’m GF and Mike is now DF (dairy-free), finding products we can share is always a win-win. Bitchin’ brings the often dairy-laden flavors of cheesy, creamy, pesto, you get the idea, without the milk. It’s been music to our ears. 

I appreciate that Bitchin’ is such a family affair. Husband and wife duo, the Edwards, along with their five kids, keep it real with their sauces and have a ton of flavors for every palate. Even sweet options like chocolate, apple, and pumpkin pie. We just sampled Bitchin’ in Costco so they’re popping up everywhere.