Expo West 2026 Hit List: The Trends, Brands, and Big Bets We're Looking For

Hello, and thank you for joining.

I am Melissa Travers, Director of Community here at BevNET and NOSH, and I am excited to welcome you to The Nombase Podcast, a podcast built to help CPG owners and operators navigate growth challenges and grow more profitable businesses.

Be sure to check out nombase.com, BevNET's platform made for the CPG community, where you can find this episode and so much more.

This episode of The Nombase Podcast drops on March 3rd, right, as so many of you are either at Expo West 2026 or on your way there. So I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about what our editorial team is excited about.

You know, what's on everyone's hit list, what trends we're watching, and what's at the top of everybody's mind heading into the show, you know, besides finding the most comfortable footwear that you can and trying to figure out how to see all of it.

So on this show today, I'm super happy to have Martín Caballero, managing editor of BevNET, and Monica Watrous, managing editor of NOSH, joining me. Thanks so much for joining, guys. This is going to be fun.

Thanks for having us.

I wanted to hear about what's on your Expo West target list.

You know, some of the brands and categories we might be prioritizing, what we're looking forward to seeing on the show floor. But first things first, just out of curiosity, when are you both going to be at the show?

I'll be arriving on Tuesday afternoon and staying through Friday morning.

Yeah, I'm going to be arriving the same on Tuesday afternoon, although I'm going to be extending my stay, doing a couple days in Disneyland, as one does in Anaheim with my daughter and wife who are going to be joining me later.

So trying to score all the points, both professional and personal in one, you know, in one trip.

That is a solid, solid plan. And I mean, you know, we're both on the East Coast. I feel like having a little bit more sunshine is not going to be the worst thing.

Twist my arm, you know, I'll take it.

And then I know we've talked about this a little bit before, but how do you both plan out your show schedules?

Do you, you know, spend a certain amount of time conducting interviews? Do you, I know that typically folks say they don't make a ton of appointments, but how are you thinking about mapping out the few days that you're there?

You know, after each edition of this event, we're sort of asking ourselves, OK, like, what could we do differently next time? How do we strategize to just get the most out of it and just sort of see everything there is to see?

There's been a couple of scheduled changes over the past couple of years in terms of when stuff opens and, you know, just the days of the week that the event's going on. So we've worked around that.

But yeah, I think, you know, really the predominant amount of our time, and I'm talking about the edit team here, I think it's really spent just on the trade show floor.

I mean, we're really trying to find, trying to connect with brands and entrepreneurs and trying to find these interesting new products and insights and sort of connect the dots with trends that we're seeing out in the market.

So yeah, I've learned over the years to really try to maximize my time actually on the floor. And, you know, here and there definitely make time for some interviews, but really there's so much to take in, you know, every second counts really.

Yeah, to add to Marty's point there, we are sending our whole fleet of editorial staffers. We have seven editors and reporters that are going to be on the show floor.

So we are armed and ready to divide and conquer and try to hit as many booths as we can in the three days that we're there.

And also, we're getting a lot of inbound press releases early, so we're able to connect with founders ahead of time, get a sense of what new products they will be unveiling at the show, and doing a bit of pre-reporting before we even hit the ground

Let's talk a little bit about the different kinds of content that folks can look out for on NOSH and BevNET.

4:04

You know, we have roundups, we have news, event coverage. What are the different types of articles and formats that we use to share information about Expo West?

Any of the show content, we are releasing an early episode of CPG Week Podcast on Tuesday as people are traveling to Anaheim.

4:28

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cpg-week-by-bevnet-nosh/id1646533862

I'll be talking to my colleagues, Lucas Southerd and Brad Avery, about what they're looking forward to seeing at the show.

And throughout the days of the show, we will be posting stories, we'll be conducting video interviews on site that will be released after the event, and we'll be gathering content that will be coming out in the weeks to come.

Yeah, I'd say a lot of words, a lot of pictures, a lot of pictures that move, like videos and that kind of thing.

It's really going to be, I think one thing we try to do is, while we are at the show is to have a steady stream of news and updates on BevNET that will hopefully bring our readers and our audience, if they're not at the show themselves, like kind of

into the event and get a sense of what people are actually talking about at the show, what are the things that are sort of immediately present versus maybe some trends that are around the corner versus maybe some that are fading away or being phased

out. So you'll certainly see a lot of kind of quick updates and coverage over the days of the actual event itself. And then over the course of the next couple of weeks, we'll be maybe doing some more in-depth coverage, following up on certain things

that we saw at the show, releasing some more video interviews and things like that. So expect our coverage to sort of continue over the weeks. But for the time at the show, we'll try to give people a snapshot of what we're seeing.

You know, I think whether you go or not, certainly if you don't go, it's always great to be able to see what was there that you missed. But even if you do go, it's so crazy.

I so enjoy reading everybody's roundups and recaps and thoughts on Expo West, because it almost seems like there's just so much coming at you. It's sometimes hard to figure out what stood out the most.

So it's always interesting to hear what stood out to other folks. So I'll be excited to see what comes out during and after the show. I've been going to Expo West.

I think this is going to be my 16th show or something like that. But it's always one of the places where I feel like I can isolate what some of the CPG trends are. I remember seeing Keto for the first time and when Paleo was big and grass fed.

And it really obviously does have a way of crystallizing what's going on in the industry and where the similarities are. So I'd love to hear from you guys.

What are some of the themes that you're prioritizing this year and looking to see how they roll out? We'll get into a bunch of specific trends, but what are some of the ones that are at the top of your mind?

7:04

Marty, let's hear from you first.

Well, Melissa, have you heard of protein? It's a thing that people are really excited about. Yeah, I mean, I think there's a bunch of things I think we'll can get into it during this conversation.

But I mean, that was just one of, I'd say there's for lack of a better word, maybe obvious trends or trends that have been pronounced. We've covered them in various formats over the site, also in NOSH as well, if we're talking about protein clearly.

So I always think X-Bow West, as you mentioned there, is a good opportunity to check in on the current status maybe of some of these longer tail trends that have been around, but they're getting more complex.

They're changing in maybe slightly nuanced ways as they grow and get their audience.

So I think something like protein is interesting because I think we've seen on the food side, we've seen a lot of the candyfication, maybe for lack of a better word, of protein in the bar space, for sure, and powders and some of the flavors and

things like that that are being presented there. Now that's extending to beverages with things like soda and presenting that indulgent treat moment as one that can also include protein, and things like coffee and water as well.

You know, there's a lot of things you can do with that. So I think just getting a check on how far these concepts can go, you know, what are the ones that are going to be sticky, one of the ones that are maybe going to be a little bit trickier.

You know, for talking about protein, again, like I mentioned, soda, but then there's stuff like coffee, which is a little bit interesting.

There's creamers, which has been an area of a lot of sort of functional attention, but maybe it's not totally sure if that's something that consumers are really responding to, although, you know, the vehicle for that seems like it would be

interesting. But we've maybe seen some push and pull there.

So I really just curious to see sort of what are the next layers to protein now that we know it's a thing, we know it's out there, but how is it sort of getting a little bit more refined or maybe just sort of adding a different layer to the story

that's being presented to consumers? So that's one thing I'll be looking for, definitely.

Let's just talk about protein then because that was certainly at the top of my list.

You know, I feel like I'm looking for something that has items that have really good mouthfeel because sometimes that can be a little off with protein infused products, shorter ingredient lists with the, and you know, I'll get to this too, but with

the non ultra processed food verified certification, that's certainly at the top of my mind and so many other minds to see how you can combine a high protein item with something that doesn't have a bunch of extra ingredients and maybe ingredients

that you're not looking for. I feel like I've been seeing more and more meat products that incorporate organ meat. Like they have, you know, they have the blocks of beef that have organ meat, you know, mixed into it.

And then beef stick brands like Archer and Bursky, they all have those items mixed into it. I always find it a little bit difficult to, from a taste perspective, to enjoy, but I'm always looking for something that kind of hits on that note.

Monica, how about you? Are you going to be scanning the expo halls for protein?

Absolutely. There are three key themes that I'll be tracking on the show floor. I'm seeing a lot of innovation around seed oil-free formulations and cleaner labels, products that are more in line with the Make America Healthy Again movement.

So I expect to see a lot of that in, again, everyday staples that are in most households today. Another theme is global flavor as a growth engine.

And I'm seeing a lot of products that are tapping into authentic cuisines from Korean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and even Scandinavian influences, that are now becoming mainstream.

The third theme I'm looking at is functional ingredients and benefits are table steaks. Protein, to Marty's point, fiber is going to be a big one.

We're seeing the emergence of creatine and more food applications, as well as mushroom support and energy. And a lot of these products fall in indulgent categories, but are being recast as permissible and functional products.

Processed oils aren't allowed under the non-UPF verified program. Neither are natural flavors or gums. So I'm super interested to see how ingredient panels are reflecting that or maybe not reflecting that.

I'm interested to see what other words or categories we can put in front of of maxing, since we have protein maxing and fiber maxing.

And what else can be maxed? How much can we max? Who's doing the maxing?

There must be more max.

We must be able to max so much more, right? Like there's not enough maxing.

Max out, baby.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, Marti, fiber maxing, fiber maxing is actually my favorite activity. So I'll definitely be looking for all the fiber products.

I'm specifically interested in seeing Royal Bread launched a cinnamon roll, and I keep getting served these TikTok ads for the Royal Bread cinnamon rolls. I can't tell if they're good or not.

Like, I really just keep getting the ad over and over again. So I'm definitely going to see if I can find myself one of those to make a final verdict.

Where are you expecting to see fiber, and where are you not expecting to see fiber, and where do you never ever want to see fiber?

There's not going to be many places to hide from this stuff if you're worried about that. Yeah, I mean, I think it's a lot like protein.

I mean, very much in those sort of long tail trends that we've seen that sort of intersect with GLP-1 drugs, with Maha sort of preferences. It sort of ticks those boxes. And now there's a story behind it, products have developed stories behind it.

These long efforts to create education around why fiber is important, I think are starting to pay off. So you have it, something like Oatly, which announced innovation in fiber just a couple of weeks ago.

Going into that category, you have brands like De La Calle doing soda, and obviously many others in that space as well. So I think it's a lot like protein.

It's where else can this fit into my day, into products that I'm already taking and that I'm already consuming. And there's certainly plenty of opportunity to do that. So I expect to see a ton of it.

I do too, but I think that there's going to be a caveat with these protein-enhanced products, and that is the emergence of class-action lawsuits.

I think when you make a fiber claim on a product, you have to be very careful about how you approach that, and saying something like, gut-healthy is becoming a target for some of these opportunistic law firms.

So fiber is going to be a tricky one, whereas protein, I don't think that there's any protections around that. I think that you can just max out the protein, and say there's protein and nobody's going to complain.

A crowded trade show floor is the hardest place to tell your story for the first time. Give the industry a head start by sharing your news early. Download the guide from BevNET CPG Media to learn how to reach buyers before the big show.

Visit bevnet.com/tradeshow.

You know, it certainly makes me think of gut health in general. Of course, fiber is a big part of gut health.

But I'm also interested to see how fiber either replaces or aligns itself with all of the biotics we've been seeing, the probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, to kind of see whether fiber is something that brands are incorporating into all of the

biotics or if it's replacing some of those items. Next up on my list, I have regeneratively grown, regenerative certified. This is something we saw, you know, certainly a bunch of last year and for the past few years.

But, you know, I think I'm always looking to see how packaging and packaging innovation can help really drive home the regenerative point and the regenerative pitch.

You know, figuring out ways to help consumers understand why these brands are doing it, why they're choosing regeneratively grown ingredients and why it's important to them.

I think it's a really difficult story to tell because it's just not necessarily a story that the majority of consumers understand.

You know, in our industry, I feel like we hear about it quite a bit, but being able to translate that to the general public, I think is sort of tricky. So that's something I'll be interested in seeing.

I always think Lil Bucks does such a good job with that. You know, they're using a cover crop that's used in regenerative farming. So I think it's, you know, they have a really great story to tell and they figured out a great way to tell it.

But, you know, I'm looking to see how brands are embracing that and communicating it.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's an interesting question of if that's something that to lead with for a brand.

I think it certainly enhances the credentials of a brand that's trying to showcase natural ingredients, trying to showcase its agricultural practices.

But is that something enough that's going to be the first message or sort of preeminent message that's going out to consumers that why you should be buying this product? I think that's an interesting theory that's yet to be fully tested.

But certainly, the more people see the regenerative seal on products, I think just the more they're going to become familiar with it, the more they might ask their own questions about it or try to figure out a little bit more on their own, probably

similar to what happened with USDA organic seal. So I think just it's still a long way to go, but there's a lot of white space for people to try different things. And I'd be very curious to see the results of some of these experiments.

I think one of the winning strategies that we're seeing from SIMPLY is equating regeneratively grown ingredients with nutrient density and making a health and wellness case for regenerative organic certified.

So maybe if it's not a sustainability message that's resonating with consumers, maybe a health and nutrition message will make it a little bit more sticky and resonant.

Another area I'm always interested in is a place where we see constant evolution and that's cognitive wellness and supplements.

Monica, you mentioned a few of these, but I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for things like creatine, choline, rhodiola, collagen, and different kinds of collagen, whether it's fish collagen, beef collagen, non-alch products, so often include some kind

of functional benefit. And it's always interesting to see what the combinations and what the trends are. I feel like L-theanine and magnesium were ones that really stood out to me in the last year or two.

So I'll be interested to see what's out there on the show floor this year.

It'll be interesting to see if some brands look to take advantage of this sort of uncertainty around hemp THC. As we know, there's the band coming in November. There's various efforts to try to create some more time for that.

But things like kava RTDs, kratom, you mentioned L-theanine. That's a little bit different on the spectrum.

But certainly, some of these ones that are sort of alternative, semi-intoxicating, buzzy, let's say, ingredients, it could be an opportunity for them to gain some ground as there's uncertainty around the future of hemp.

There are certainly certain products and brands that really center their whole value proposition around mood enhancement. Brands like Happy Pop, Happy Coffee. You know, note that they both say happy in them.

Midnight snacks. Folks are definitely looking to get more out of their beverages and snacks than just the beverage or the food itself. So I'll be interested to see.

I don't know. If somebody can give me a cup of coffee that'll make me happy, then I will drink it all day long.

Any kind of coffee makes me happy.

Also, clean energy is one that I'm interested in, in seeing those out there.

You know, tea extracts, you see a lot of those, but also things like ketones, paroxanthine, you know, Kim Kardashian and her association with updates certainly seems like an interesting and important one.

NNB Nutrition spoke at our BevNET Live this past winter, and they had a lot to say about paroxanthine, so I'll be interested to see how, you know, what my options are for becoming more alert.

I wonder, and I'll throw this out there to you guys, too, I wonder if we're, how you guys feel about how functionally fatigued we are as a marketplace.

20:24

I think it's a little bit different for us being inside the bubble, as it were, but I wonder if there's an opportunity for, you know, brands or just the sort of conversation to swing back to maybe some more simple messaging around some of these

products. I mean, certainly, I think clean label really fits into that well. Something like, you know, zero sugar soda, that's a pretty simple proposition, even without the functional benefits.

Something like Agua Frescas, you know, just natural refreshment, really simple fruit-based beverage.

I wonder if there's an opportunity or sort of the time is right for, you know, kind of a move back from sort of hyperfunctional, everything must do everything to a little bit more of a simple messaging. But I could be wrong.

One of the things I'd like to see are more products that promise immediate results.

You know, in my mind, whether I'm substituting something for alcohol or I just want a certain kind of experience, I don't really want to have to consume that thing for four weeks to see a benefit.

I want to be able to consume the thing and kind of feel like it's happening immediately.

So I think any innovation in that area and any narrowing in that direction, I think, is really helpful because I do really think that taking supplements for taking supplements and consuming a food or a beverage product are two totally different

things. Like I think L-theanine and...

But food is medicine, Melissa. Food is medicine, right?

Right. But so I'll eat my broccoli and then like take a B vitamin. You know what I mean?

It is really interesting.

I think there is definitely that bleeding into the supplement space and yes, there are going to be products that don't have immediate results or maybe can't promise anything because they're going to have such a different result for different people.

But that makes me think of something like A2 dairy, which is a really interesting sort of subsegment that's come out because I think that is a little bit of an example of that where it doesn't necessarily promise too much.

It just sort of has a really clear sort of proposition in that A2 dairy does not contain the same proteins as you will find in typical dairy, and it may be easier for people to digest.

I think that's a really simple concept that people can look at a can on the shelf and say, OK, when I drink this, it's not guaranteed, obviously, but I may have less discomfort. I may be able to digest this a little bit easier than regular milk.

Pretty simple. You can put the two next to each other. I know why I'm going to choose one over the other.

I think that's been really impactful in reviving dairy and bringing people back to dairy, not all on its own, but certainly we've seen a lot of data that correlates with more interest in that.

That, in turn, can help reshape RTD categories that use milk. We've seen a brand, LaVoral's RTD Coffee, that's done a great job showcasing their focus on A2 milk.

Again, that really simple messaging, that's a great example of a simple message is, I understand why I would be choosing this over something else. Obviously, that's extended into ice cream and other dairy categories too.

I also have to wonder about GLP-1s and products that support folks who are on a GLP-1 and the diets that they need to conform to. High protein is certainly one. Also, I think hydration sometimes is part of that as well from a beverage perspective.

I'll be interested to see in what frozen meals are available. Protein items and things geared towards folks who are on those diets. But I also think it's tricky to call out to the folks who are on those diets.

Branding yourself as a GLP-1 product is kind of specific. So it's always interesting to see how brands are able to market themselves to people who have that concern.

Individuals who are taking GLP-1s for weight control are looking for high protein, to your point. Also, fiber is a big one. There's a lot of digestive irregularity concerns that folks on those medications have to deal with.

Hydration is another great example. I think a lot of brands, too, are looking at portion control as a way to deliver options and opportunities for these consumers.

So it may be a little more subtle, but I think that brands are certainly thinking about GLP-1s as they are innovating.

Yeah, I'd be interested to hear from some of these brands and entrepreneurs about how retailers are talking to them about this category. I think to Monica's point about how they're being branded and presented.

I'm curious to see if retailers are looking to dedicate sets specifically to these types of products. Are they looking to use GLP-1 to drive attention to that part of the store and organize it under that principle?

Or if not, that'd be interesting to hear. We've seen only a few brands that are really affirmatively embrace the GLP-1 branding and title on their products. It hasn't been too many so far.

Another dietary trend I'm kind of curious about, and it's something that I haven't really been hearing a ton of, are diets that are insulin-sensitive, so diets that don't spike your blood sugar.

A lot of people have those continuous glucose monitors, and I've seen certain products positioned in a way that helps people understand that they don't spike their glucose, so I'll be interested to see if anyone is out there promoting that.

I feel like dates are one of the sweeteners that don't, so a lot of date-focused products will bring that up.

I think you still see some low glycemic callouts on packaging, but to your point, there was a lot more attention being paid to blood sugar control a couple years ago, and that seems to have fallen away a little bit.

26:27

And when we think about blood sugar control, of course, we think about sweeteners, which is another area that I'm always so interested in.

We've seen so much alulose and monk fruit and stevia. I'm interested in hearing people talk about the higher quality stevia that folks are using now. And to be honest, I'm still trying to figure out what makes it higher quality.

I think it's in the processing, but interested in hearing brands call that out if they're using it. And then any other sweeteners, whether it's cane sugar or anything else to sweeten their beverages and foods.

Another mini trend, I guess, that I'm looking forward to seeing on the show floor is the continuation of co-branding and collaborative partnerships across the CPG ecosystem. There's a couple of new products that are coming out from.

One of them is Like Air and Freestyle Snacks that is launching a spicy dill pickle puff corn. Another that I'm excited to try is Ithaca Hummus and Firehook Crackers that is doing a sweet onion hummus inspired cracker.

And McConnell's is teaming up with Sum to launch a, I believe it's a raspberry tahini ice cream. Those are just a few examples, but I expect to see a few more on the show floor.

Well, you just said pickle, and that was certainly one of the flavors that we saw everywhere last year. Looking to see what flavor trends are emerging is always interesting. I'll be looking for sweet and spicy.

I feel like that's a combo that I see so much of in the products that we get and that we talk about.

Swisey, the kids say.

Right. It's swisey. Yeah.

It slaps for a lot of people.

Slow down, Melissa.

Slow down. Steady. My kids are going to kill me.

I feel like we've been seeing a few Shirley Temple flavored drinks recently, but it's just all with last year. I saw a bunch of dragon fruit, but it's always fun to see what you see duplicates of and to see whether those things catch fire or not.

I think another trend here, and you kind of tapped into it a little bit, is nostalgia and childhood classics that are being reinvented for modern consumers.

I'm seeing a lot of PB&J across the supermarket and one of the new products that's going to debut at Expo West is from IncrediFulls, the maker of the pizza cupcake. They're launching a PB&J snack for the frozen aisle. So that's just one.

There's so many others. I mean, classic flavors like s'mores and peanut butter and chocolate and bomb pop, things like that are always surfacing in a number of products. So certainly keep an eye out for nostalgic flavors.

I'm always interested to see which brands underneath the Santa Terra portfolio are doing.

Brands like Sunny, Drumroll, Little Sesame. And I love seeing what new products or launches are coming out of there. Are there any specific new products or product launches that you're interested in checking out?

29:44

I am really looking forward to being surprised by a lot of stuff that I see there.

Certainly, we've gotten some interesting tips on products that are going to be debuting there.

But I think it's always fun to just sort of stumble upon stuff like a real authentic consumer and not someone sort of in the ivory tower of journalism or whatever.

I do think, I will say, I really, really hope that I see some sparkling water brands taking advantage of this Topo Chico situation. If people don't know or haven't seen Topo Chico sparkling water, the core mineral water, not some of the flavor lines.

But the core water is going to be unavailable until it looks like Q3 due to some production issues in Mexico. So please, somebody jump in on that. It's going to be a wide open summer.

So I really hope to see some sparkling water brands using that to their advantage. And I've already seen a few, got a couple of e-mails, so good on them. But yeah, I'm really looking forward to hopefully being surprised by some stuff.

And if you follow BevNET, I will provide it for you.

I'm also looking forward to being surprised, but there's also a couple of things on my radar that I'm excited about. Specifically expansions from some of the key brands that we've been following over the past few years.

Actual Veggies is getting into the children's snacking segment with a new line called Dinosaur Nuggets, and that they're vegetable-based, as the name implies. And it's a pretty exciting space, and it's a pretty differentiated product.

I talked to founders, Haley Swartz and Jason Rosenbaum, head of the show to get the scoop on this expansion. I'm also excited about Chomps moving into Chicken, which is a new protein for a red hot meat snack brand.

We're seeing a lot of movement in poultry and chicken in the meat snack segment, as consumers are looking for portable and convenient sources of lean protein. It's a tough protein for the meat stick format.

A lot of times it's dry, doesn't have a really great chew. But I think some of these brands are figuring it out, and if anybody can do it, Chomps can.

Well, Martín Caballero and Monica Watrous, thank you so much for joining the Nombase Podcast. I really enjoyed hearing what you have your sights set on, and I'll certainly add those to my own.

Can't wait to see you guys at the show, and certainly we all can't wait to see all of you at the show. So if you've been listening to the Nombase Podcast, thank you so much, and we'll see you next time.

That concludes another episode of the Nombase Podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please leave us a review and follow us on your listening platform of choice.

You can also watch and listen to past episodes on nombase.com, and don't forget to join our Nombase Slack at slack.bevnet.com for company updates, industry networking, and community discussions. See you next time.