At MarketPlace, we are constantly looking for what’s next in food, beverage, and supplement – and when talking CPG, there is no better place to see trends come to life than at Natural Products Expo West!

Last week, I had the opportunity to walk the floor, sample products, and engage with brands that are innovating to meet consumers’ demands and deliver the products that will capture their interest.

I went in expecting to see protein, protein, and more protein! From ready-to-mix protein shakes and meat snacks to protein-fortified popcorn, brands have stepped up their protein offerings. Along with protein, we saw an uptick in fiber formulations. Consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of fiber in their diets, and they’re looking for easy ways to increase their daily intake. Ratio, a yogurt brand known for its high-protein offerings, was sampling its new PRO•FIBER line, making it simple for consumers to switch to a higher-fiber version that they may consume daily.

While the Protein + Fiber trend wasn’t unexpected, it was interesting to see the different applications and ingredients that bring it from an idea to the shelves. But protein and fiber were just the beginning; the show floor had so much to offer.

With an expansive reach across supplements, beverages, and food categories, the show floor featured many micro- and macro-trends. Let’s dive a bit deeper into each category and where the CPG space is headed.

Supplement Trends at Expo West

The supplement space continues to attract consumer interest, whether they’re seeking single-ingredient vitamins or complex formulas for cognitive health. Consumers are seeking products to support their wellness journey.

Trend: Supplement Format Trends

Over the past several years, the “gummy” supplement has garnered significant attention and adoption by supplement users. If you walk down the supplement aisle at Target or search on Amazon, you’ll find that many formulas now come in gummy form. But there is continued discourse around the gummy format, effectiveness, added sugar, and if it really works for all formulas.

But consumers like them!

Why?

A gummy supplement tastes good, is easy to take, and convenient for many different lifestyles. On the Expo West floor, we’re seeing brands and manufacturers introduce other formats that deliver health benefits while addressing some of the reasons consumers are drawn to gummies.

Dissolving Strips: Brands like BIOSTRIPS are highlighting dissolving strips as an emerging format that is easy to take and on-the-go-friendly.

With ongoing discussions about bioavailability and absorption, dissolving strips have the potential to be a highly beneficial supplement format for consumers who are looking for an easy and convenient option.

Taffy-like Chews: Force Factor made a splash on the show floor, showing the versatility of the soft chew supplement format. While this format has been known in specialty categories, like bariatric-focused supplements, it continues to grow into general supplements, meeting the great taste expectations of consumers while also being easy to formulate with many ingredients.

Trend: Creatine at Expo West

Creatine is trending! As a well-researched and effective supplement, many gym-goers have used creatine to support muscle health, strength, and cellular energy for years. As clinical research on the cognitive and hormonal benefits creatine may have for consumers, specifically women, grows, demand for creatine is increasing. Brands like CON-CRET and Beast Bites were on the floor with powder and gummy formats, but even Ready-to-Drink creatine beverages made an appearance.

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Top Beverage Trends at Expo West

We are all beverage consumers, whether it’s grabbing a bottle of water from a gas station or a perfectly blended smoothie from a boutique grocer down the street. The beverage category continues to grow as consumers seek out beverages that do more for them, whether it’s better hydration, mental focus, energy, or even protein. At Expo West, there were beverages to try around every corner – some familiar go-to waters and some new innovative formulas that made me stop and sip.

Trend: Water, Water, Water

If you’re anything like me, your water bottle is within arm’s reach of you right now. Water is foundational to our days, but Expo West highlighted a new water spectrum. We saw premium bottles, flavor-filled cans, and new water sources.

O’kra was on the show floor, highlighting its premium sparkling okra water. With a focus on “drinking your skincare,” they embody the beauty-from-within trend by offering more than just hydration with the superfood Okra.

Chlorophyll Water made a splash with its ultra-purified water with alfalfa-derived chlorophyll, oh, and it’s green! This water provides hydration and vitamins A, C, and D, giving consumers additional benefits that can support skin, energy, and immune health.

And coconut water is reaching new consumers through brands like Coco5, highlighting its “glow-up” for coconut water with added electrolytes. A functional take on a hydrating classic!

Trend: Real Fruit + Real Benefits

As consumers seek simpler ingredient lists, full flavor, and less sugar, brands are coming in hot with “real” food ingredients. In the beverage market, this comes to life through real fruit ingredients. On the floor, we saw “real fruit” called out on packaging, booths, and literature. Brands like Spindrift, which have built their brand around their real fruit inclusion, showcased new flavors hitting shelves soon while staying true to fruit.

Soda is getting a refresh with Fruga, a “Fruit Super Soda” that highlights the health benefits of the included fruit, like gut and immune support. Even Ready-to-Mix beverages are leveraging real fruit. I picked up a few DryWater flavors to try on my plane ride home!

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Top Food Trends at Expo West

Eating a meal during Expo West? What’s the need when you’re surrounded by the up-and-coming brands that are filling our shelves and our plates! As I walked around the specialty food halls, I could smell the booths cooking up my next favorite dish. I tried a protein-fortified mac and cheese, snackable ice cream dough balls, and dumplings from around the globe! While I noticed many food trends, two stood out!

Trend: Dates at Expo West

Dates! If you’ve ever talked to me, I’ve probably mentioned my love of dates. They’re one of my favorite foods, so at any food-adjacent trade show, I try to look for a date to try. Imagine my shock and delight to see dates trending!

It’s no surprise: as a nutrient-dense food filled with soluble fiber, Dates, our next trendy food, make total sense for consumers seeking whole foods, fiber, and antioxidants! From whole dates, candy-coated dates, date sweeteners, date bars, and even blended dates, we saw this superfood ready to take center shelf.

Daddl was sampling their Sour Cola, Sweet Peach, and my personal favorite, Strawberry Milkshake flavors. With a sweet-and-sour coating on each date, they have no added sugar, are vegan, and gluten-free!

Need a date fix on the go? Datefix said, “We’ve got you.” They have a date gel made with dates and a bit of orange blossom water with different add-ins for additional health and flavor benefits. I picked up their Ginger one for some ready-to-eat fuel!

Trend: Prepared Food Trends

Chef-prepared, ready in a flash, full of flavor, real ingredients, and coming to a store near you! With consumers juggling work, life, kids, and hobbies, all while trying to eat better, convenience meals are on the rise. But it’s no longer the T.V. dinners of the past – gourmet flavors from around the globe made themselves known at Expo West this year.

Thai Coconut Curry, Tomato Bolognese, French Mirepoix, Mexican Green Chili, even Homestyle Chili – these are the flavors that were heating up the Lentiful Booth! Plant-based, on-the-go, and packed with lentils for protein and fiber, they really elevate the packed lunch.

Matka Pierogi brings a Polish classic and shakes it up with flavors like Jalapeño Cheddar and Mushroom Gorgonzola – made with real whole foods and ready in minutes.

At the forefront of this trend are Asian-inspired recipes. Bibigo invited attendees into their market square to try their latest and greatest take on wontons, dumplings, and rice bowls.

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The Trend Isn’t the Strategy

Walking the floor at Expo West is exhilarating and a little overwhelming.

Protein is everywhere. Dates are having a moment. Functional water is multiplying. Creatine has left the gym.

But here’s what the best brands on that floor reminded me: a trend is an opportunity, not a strategy. The brands that stopped me in my tracks weren’t just riding a trend. They were telling a story that made the trend feel inevitable for them. Spindrift doesn’t only talk about real fruit at Expo West. It’s been their entire identity.

In fast-moving categories like food, beverage, and supplements, the risk isn’t missing a trend. The risk is chasing every trend at the cost of your brand.

Consumers are sharp. They notice when a brand doesn’t live up to its promise. They feel the difference between a brand that believes in what it makes and one that reformulated because the data said to.

So, as you think about what Expo West and these trends mean for your brand, we’d encourage you to ask:

• Does this trend belong to us, or are we trying to make ourselves fit into it?
• Can we tell a story around this that only we can tell?
• Will this strengthen or dilute our brand equity?

Ready to discuss your branding or next product launch? Let’s chat!