In a post last month I highlighted some of the brands and products that stood out at Expo West. This week I’m sharing a few more that left an impression, for good and for weird.
Rachel’s Overnight Oats
The idea behind overnight oats is pretty simple: take your oats, add your milk or water, let soak overnight, and wake up to a ready-to-eat nutritious breakfast. It’s not the newest or most innovative product we saw at Expo West, but Rachel’s Overnight Oats were delicious and immensely satisfying.
I’m not exactly a morning person, and often find myself snacking and eating unhealthy foods because I don’t take the time (or have the time) to plan effectively, so the idea of mixing this up the night before and not having to think too hard the next morning is a win.
Ripple
Pea milk. Yup, pea milk.
I’m the type of person who would eat a bowl (or three) of cereal every day if I didn’t have more self control, and I can’t imagine eating chocolate without a big glass of cold milk, so the idea of cutting dairy milk completely out of my diet is tough to stomach. That being said, I also understand the benefits of consuming a non-dairy milk, but the varieties I’ve tried in the past just didn’t cut it. While I wouldn’t confuse Ripple for the real thing, it didn’t have as strong of a nutty aftertaste that I find problematic in most other alternatives.
After the show I did buy a bottle to try in cereal, and while it’s different, it’s certainly something I could learn to get used to.
Schultz’s BBQ and Hot Sauces
The Schultz brothers are carrying on the family tradition of gourmet sauce making, and preparing to launch 7 new BBQ and hot sauces. Expo West was the first time they were sampling the new products, and we discovered their booth by following the scent of slow-cooked meats around the show floor.
They were a friendly group, more than generous with their samples, and everything we tried was absolutely delicious. If you come across any of their sauces, I wouldn’t hesitate to give them a try.
The Dirt
Oh boy, this one was weird.
After a long day of walking around, sampling all sorts of random foods, you really just want to brush your teeth. There were a handful of oral care companies at the show, but The Dirt really stood out to us.
The ingredients in their tooth powders and pastes are simple enough (clay, baking soda, spices, etc.) and once you’ve finished brushing, there’s no need to rinse, just eat whatever is left. We obviously had to try to the chocolate toothpaste, and while swallowing the toothpaste at the end was a bit odd, it really did leave our mouths feeling fresh and clean. I’m in no way qualified to judge the effectiveness of the products they’re offering, but the experience at the booth certainly intrigued me enough to want to learn more.
Over the course of the weekend, we met so many great people and were introduced to thousands of awesome brands. While these highlight just a handful of the positive experiences we had, we’re excited to see where all the brands we met are headed and look forward to catching up with them again at next year’s show.