Vegan Brands Wow Consumers at the 2023 Expo West

When vegan businesses have the opportunities to show flexitarian consumers what they have to offer and why, there’s no mistaking their passion. A huge variety of vegan companies had the opportunity to do just that at this year’s annual Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural and organic trade show. Expo West takes place every March at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California. 

Author: Colleen Kane

VKind’s very own Jia Dadabhoy popped in at Expo West to interview some of the leaders of nine trailblazing plant-based companies. While they wowed consumers with their creative and delicious products, Vkind took the opportunity to find out more about their brand’s mission and innovations.

Strong Roots – Single serving frozen meals

Photo: Strong Roots

Jason Moyer, the Chief Marketing Office of Strong Roots, showcased a huge display of single-serving, 10 oz frozen meals. With nothing you can’t pronounce on the back, you can feel good about choosing these nutritious entrees! 

Currently, you can find flavors like Thai Curry, Greek Orzo Bake and many more at Whole Foods and online. According to Moyer, the brand’s name was sparked by a “desire to get back to our roots,” help with “solving the food crisis,” and reduce carbon impact by growing great vegetables in healthy soil. Of the expo, Moyer commented that there are “a lot of curious eaters” who enjoyed their products. 

Never Better Foods – Plant-based cheese that truly rivals dairy cheese

Photo: NeverBetterFood.com

While Douglas Kanter, the CEO and founder of Never Better Foods, started off in the world of plant-based meats, he noticed that few vegan cheeses really tasted or melted like the dairy version. Noting that flexitarians are 70% or more of the market, he knew vegan cheese would have to step up its game to appeal to the masses. So, he worked on developing plant-based cheeses that truly match the texture, flavor and ability to melt of plant-based cheeses. According to Kanter, Never Better Cheese melts better than its vegan competition.

At present, the business offers cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan. While they currently are only in food service in universities, hospitals and restaurants, consumers and vegan restaurants can buy retail online at neverbetterfoods.com.

Crafty Counter – “WunderEggs” (plant-based hard boiled eggs)

Photo: WunderEggs

According to founder Hema Reddy, it was “incredible to see consumers’ response after [putting] everything into building a business for the past three years.” Upon sampling the WunderEgg, people would exclaim with wide eyes, “This is the best vegan product ever”! For Reddy and her team, these responses were “motivating… reassuring and validating.”

Reddy noted that their product hit the market at an ideal time, right as the avian flu led to higher egg prices. This helped shine light on the inhumane conditions of chickens and has led more people to look at other options. 

The WunderEgg is made primarily of water, almonds, cashews and coconut milk. It also contains salt, agar, yeast, konjac, rosemary extract, and turmeric and annatto for color.

Currently, you can find their product in Whole Foods. As of the first of April, they will open up into other natural groceries stores and food service. In July, they’ll launch an egg white patty. Stay tuned – they have more surprises coming up!

THIS PKN – Pecan-based non-dairy milk and creamers

Photo: ©PKN

CEO Laura Unobskey Shnekar shared that their business is focused on regenerative agriculture. Pecans are the only nut native to the US and rely on the wind, not bees, for pollination. So, unlike almonds and other foreign plants, pecan production helps strengthen the bee population and ecosystem. They make non-dairy delicious – give them a try!

Noble Jerky – vegan jerky and steak

Photo: Noble Jerky

Originally a third generation farmer, COO Jordan Urbani’s years in the slaughter industry eventually took a toll mentally. As he began to see a decrease in sales in the meat industry, he decided to follow the trend and launch Noble Jerky in 2017. He was determined to create a plant-based jerky with realistic rip, tear and texture. Now, Noble Jerky has seen great success with their vegan steaks and jerky, available in 8000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, including Whole Foods. Order online here.

New Breed – plant-based, natural chik’n products

Photo: New Breed

At New Breed, it’s all about taste, nutrition, and helping people transition to a plant-based lifestyle. Since moving away from meat is hard for many people, founder and CEO Samantha Edwards started her company to help people make the transition and still eat the foods they love. With over 25 years of vegan living under her belt, she’s even written a cookbook called The Better Way. 

Flavors include BBQ Jerk, Caribbean Jerk, Lightly Seasoning, and Jamaican Jerk – flavors that didn’t exist before on the plant-based market! With only four ingredients, you can feel good about what you’re eating. Order online here.

WhatIF Foods – Bamnut Milk and noodles made with the nutritious, hearty bambara groundnuts

Photo: WhatIf

At WhatIF Foods, their mission is to use crops that are resilient to poor soil, dry weather and hot temperatures – conditions expected to become more common as the climate crisis worsens. It incorporates other climate-resilient crops into its “planet-based products” as well, such as moringa, lupin and pea protein. 

Marketing director Sabine Schindlbauer urges consumers to recognize that, “Sustainability is no longer enough because if [we] sustain the current state of the world, we’re gonna be doomed.”  So, the brand urges buyers to “Go Bamnut or go extinct!” 

Bamnut uses the highly nutritious bambara groundnuts, which contain all the macro and micronutrients humans need. Clocking in at 5 grams of protein per one cup of milk, it’s high in both protein and fiber. 

It can grow in degraded soil where almost nothing else will grow, while giving back by regenerating the soil. The company works with farmers in West Africa to grow the bambara groundnuts in order to regenerate the soil and then grow new crops. 

Using a method similar to airfrying, Bamnu has also created instant noodles in various flavors, which boast 17 grams of protein in one serving. Order online here, Amazon and find in stores in New York and LA.

Future Farm – plant-based meats and milks

Photo: Future Farm

At Future Farm, you can find plant-based chik’n nuggets and burgers. And coming in April this year? Plant-based tuna! Kim Notes, Trade Marketing Manager, and Maria Fernanda, Head of Innovation, shared that the company is now expanding to offer dairy-free milks, plain chik’n, pepperoni and hot dogs in 2024 as well. 

Consumers can find them on Amazon Fresh and at marketplaces and retailers in New York and Hawaii, as well as Sprouts in San Diego by the end of the year. For recipes and tips on cooking with Future Farm products, check out their website, TikTok, and Instagram. 

No Cow – Vegan protein bars, Rice Krispy Treats and Peanut Butter Cups

Photo: No Cow

Health-conscious consumers with a sweet tooth, rejoice! In addition to their staple protein bars, No Cow has invented high protein, low-sugar peanut butter cups and Rice Krispy Treats. These treats pack in 10 grams of protein and 7 grams of protein, respectively. 

Marketing Manager Griffin McElwee commented, “People have been all over it! The peanut butter cups are great… a little nice bite in the chocolate with some creamy peanut butter… The Marshmallow Crunchy Treats are… eliciting that response of the childhood Rice Krispy Treat, but better for you.”

Consumers can find them on NoCow.com in May and at Kroger in June 2023.

Expo West continues accelerating the plant-based movement 

At Expo West 2023, vegan businesses dazzled consumers with delicious, realistic plant-based cheese, jerky, steak, nuggets, burgers, Rice Krispy Treats, Peanut Butter Cups, hard boiled eggs, milks, creamers and more. Plus, many of them inspired conscious consumers with their regenerative mission and planet-focused products. At Vkind, we celebrate with conscious consumers everywhere as innovations like these keep propelling the plant-based movement forward.