Allergy Friendly Expo
This past weekend I attended the Free From and Allergy Friendly Expo. It is catered to those individuals who live with food allergies and/or sensitivities, avoiding foods such as dairy, eggs, gluten…like me!
They had a variety of guest speakers like Anna Olson, cool new products, testers and general information related to this market. I am pretty sure I tried every single product throughout the show, and some were fantastic and some were just …MEH. Here are my highlights:
- Genuine Health – they have a new organic fermented vegan protein powder that was delicious! I usually buy their protein bars and happy to see that they now came out with a powder for your smoothies.
- FitCricket – they use cricket protein in their bars! Yes… CRICKET! I think we will be seeing more and more insect protein used in the future products of health and wellness. Surprisingly, it was quite tasty and my fave flavor was Apple Pie.
- Profi Pro Health – The story behind this product is so sweet! A father created it for her daughter who had allergies to so many foods, and he was so worried she wasn’t getting the nutrients she needed so he created this brand for her. I like that it is high in Iron -25%, low sugar and plant-based protein.
- Baru Baron – these are seeds from Brazil and are PACKED with protein and essential vitamins and nutrients. I liked that they are lecithin free and low carb.
- Tribe Chocolate – also loved the story behind this product. A trip to Peru on a journey to self-discovery, led to the owner of this company to bring more love into this world through CHOCOLATE. This is where the product was developed and sourced from countries like Peru and Honduras. Using only 2 ingredients and DARN GOOD!
- VegCheese – organic soy milk and coconut-based cheese that tastes SO GOOD! And it melts perfectly for pizzas which is hard to find!
- Queen Street Bakery – Love these breads that contain super high fiber since they use beans and legumes in their recipes. Only down side is that they use EGG, but are developing a new recipe egg-free. So, stay tuned!
- NIKU farms – they bring the farm to your door! Literally – they deliver a box of meat to your door! I loved that they are a local farm, 100% grass fed animals, non-GMO, Hormone and antibiotic free.
Overall, the show was great, but I think it also had areas for improvement. I think there was too many sweet products (desserts, chocolate, cookies) and needed more savory and snack products… or maybe that’s just me because I am more of a salty than sweets person??
It was so nice chatting with some of the owners and creators of these products and listening to their stories. With some also being graduates of the same school I am attending it is truly inspiring!
**TIP: if you want to see some of these products in your local health food store, show the manager of the store their website or product /details. Just ask them to bring it in! Sometimes they will if they see a gap in their offerings or a demand for it.
Until Next Time,
MellyFit xo