Displaying items by tag: Expo West

The Natural Products Expo is my favorite business event of all time. Each Spring and Fall I attend this massive trade show to find the latest and greatest products and mingle with industry insiders. Since this event isn't open to the public, I make it my mission to report on the best products, brands, news and people. This year I wrote an ebook packed with tips on how to make the most of the experience, and I re-joined the We.Blog editorial team for the third show in a row.

Do you find yourself dining out too often because you don't know how to make exciting food at home? I can relate. Almost every day I question whether to go to a restaurant or a grocery store for pre-made food, or wrangle up ingredients in my kitchen and make a meal from scratch. I know the latter is most cost effective, likely healthier, and more sustainable than eating out, but sometimes I'm just lazy! Time gets in the way, and on busy days I dread how long a good meal takes to make (and clean up). Plus, I often crave specific flavors from a chef-made meal that I'm not sure how to reproduce at home. It's for all these reasons that I decided to take an online cooking class, and since I suspect you're in the same boat.

I'm honored to have been selected to be part of the We.Blog editorial team at Natural Products Expo West 2014! Along with 11 other content creators in the natural lifestyle industry, I'll be reporting on my all-time favorite event. Expo West is the world’s largest trade show and convention focused on the health and natural products industry, with more than 60,000 attendees and over 2,500 exhibitors across natural and specialty foods, organic, supplements, health and beauty, natural living and pet items.

Since this event is impossible to cover alone (I've tried and failed, 4 years in a row!), the organizers decided to launch the We.Blog Editorial Board as a pilot program. Here's what we'll be doing:

"If conscientious consumption means we avoid contributiong to suffering, palm is clearly problematic." ~ Mark Hawthorne

My vegan lifestyle is a continuous evolution - I'm constantly learning something new about food, nutrition, the environment, ethics, politics, etc. No wonder many people find veganism intimidating - there's a lot to consider! When I first went vegan I looked at it very simply - I didn't eat any products that came from animals and I could verify this by looking at labels, seeking out vegan certifications and avoiding the obvious (meat, dairy, leather, silk, etc). But as I became more passionate about the lifestyle and made it my career to inspire and educate others on the topic, I realized that there's a lot more than meets the eye. Some may find this overwhelming, but I believe that if we take things step by step and strive to be informed, we can each develop a well-rounded perspective on our personal choices. A perfect example is palm oil - in this article I explore this confusing and touchy subject, and offer some suggestions on how you can keep your purchases as ethical as possible

UPDATED: February 24, 2015 (originally written in 2013)

It's that time of year again - Natural Products Expo West starts on March 7th! This business trade show is an amazing place for professionals in the health field to meet eachother, discover new products and introduce others to them. Attendees are bombarded with free food all day long, namely energy bars, chocolate, sweet drinks and bagged snacks. Unfortunately this wonderful experience often leaves to upset stomaches due to weird food combinations and cravings for nutritious, sit-down meals. Though the area around the Anaheim Convention Center doesn't offer much in the way of healthy restaurants I've pulled together a list of places that offer whole plant-based meals, which will satisty both vegans and omnivores.

It has begun! Join me on my first day of Natural Products Expo West in this video, featuring the latest products from:

• - PROBAR
• - Pure Bar
• - Artisana
• - Purely Elizabeth
• - Beanfields
• - The Brooklyn Salsa Company
• - Califia Almond Milk
• - Bambooe
• - Navitas Naturals
• - Earth Balance
• - VEGA
• - Inner-Eco
• - OMG!
• - Poppy's Cleaners
• - NibMor
• - Pacari and Dr. Nita's
• - Cloud-Top
• - Bold Organics
• - Yoga Earth's Keen-Wah
• - Farmhouse Culture
• - EatPastry