The Only Natural Expo West Trend Report that Actually Matters – NEW Takes on Old Favorites: Part 1

Friends and fellow foodies, listen up – Tytanium’s got an important announcement. Remember all those “trendy” foods you were eating in hopes of achieving the ultimately culinary cool? Natural Expo West 2014 squarely put all those noshes into the “so last year” category (like that time you finally purchased a pair of obnoxiously huge bell bottoms only to have skinny jeans promptly be declared as the only jean that really matters a week later.)

Sorry! But don’t dismay. Here at Tytanium, we’ve got your back. We scoured through over 2,500 booths and worked our way between 64,999 other natural product fanatics to bring you what’s really NEW (Natural Expo West) in 9 different categories – yogurt, granola, fruits, nuts, vegetables, meats, drinks, juices, bars – and 4 of our favorite NEWly reinvented culinary combos. So read, learn, shop, and prepare to really reach that coveted level of foodie-forwardness. We’ve split it up into a few different blogs, so you can digest a few trends at a time. Ready for NEW Yogurt and Granola? Good, ‘cause here we go!

Yogurt: The Moo (and not so Moo) Frontier

#GreekYogurt #Skyr #IcelandicYogurt #GrassFed #GoatYogurt #SheepYogurt #CoconutYogurt #SavoryYogurt #NoMoreYoplait

@siggisdairy @smariorganics @dreamingcow @noosayoghurt @redwhoodhill @bellweatherfarms @bluehillyogurt

Greek yogurt is so last year. NEW is looking to other countries’ traditional yogurt styles, beyond cow’s milk, and rethinking the usual flavors to kick yogurt up a whole lot of notches.

Skyr, Icelandic-style Yogurt, is custard-thick and super creamy, incredibly high in protein, low in sugar, and overall like a meal in the palm of your hand. Starting in 2010, Siggi’s led the Icelandic yogurt charge; their “Orange & Ginger” flavor is perfectly tart, tangy and a staple in my fridge. Smári is making waves as the new kid in town, boasting an Organic certification, bold designs, and a bad-ass brand personality to boot.

If grass-fed is more your scene, Dreaming Cow is right up your alley! Happy cows freely pasture 24/7/365; these chilled-out bovines’ milk creates an Omega-3 rich, New Zealand-style creamy yogurt with a delectable thin layer of cream on top. The land down under continues their mission to treat cows right and produce fantastic fares with Noosa’s Aussie-style yoghurt (yes, Aussie-style is with an “h”!) Greek-style thick, sweetened and flavored with pureed fruits, and placed in bright, bold packaging, this really is the finest yoghurt-with-an-h I tasted!

Can’t do cow? For all our lactose-challenged friends out there: rejoice! You’ve got more choices now than ever before. Redwood Hill makes a killer European-style, velvety smooth goat’s milk option. Bellweather Farms has an entire line of slightly sweet, insanely rich sheep’s milk yogurt. And for those who want all the creamy yogurt goodness without milking any mammal, COYO coconut milk yogurt made their US debut at the show.

The sweet-to-savory shift was contagious around NEW; yogurt caught the bug, introducing scrumptiously savory flavors fit for any meal. Get your veg and dairy all-in-one with the beautifully designed, absolutely mind-blowingly delicious Blue Hill Yogurt line. Choose from carrot, sweet potato, beet, butternut squash, tomato, or parsnip – you really can’t go wrong (Seriously)!

Sosi’s Healthy Pleasures is bringing together the multi-cultural and savory trend with their fantastic Armenian Yogurt Dips. Be advised, while Sosi’s is delicious enough to stuff your face with an entire container of artichoke dill or garden mint, the dips are super thick and incredibly flavor-dense, so a little goes a long, long way.

Still eating Yoplait? Friends, I urge you, put that abomination to modern yogurt down and snag yourself any – or all! – of the trending alternatives above.

Granola: Gra-no-grains, Gra-no-gluten, Gra-no-add-sugar, Gra-no-GMO, Gran-Organic, Gran-o-lotta-seeds, Gran-o-lotta-nuts, and Müesli

NEW granola brags on a distinct lack of _________ (fill in the blank with any type of common allergies or dietary concern), the ever-present focus on non-GMO and Organic, and a plethora of added superfoods.

Quinoa broke forth as the non-grain of choice. Coconut, maple, agave, honey, and really anything-but-sugar surged forth as the primary source of sweetness. The add-ins were endless – every type of fruit, nut, seed, and beyond!

Due to the sheer number of options and vast diversity available, picking a favorite granola is impossible. Rather than pleading the fifth, I’m pleading the Granola Clause. Henceforth, in this category, my conclusion is what’s best is completely subjective to whatever most pleases your personal palate.

What really stood out? Müesli of all sorts. For the traditionalist, Seven Sundays crafts four wonderfully clean, lightly toasted, beautifully balanced flavors. The more adventurous breakfasters will love ZenMonkey conveniently grab ‘n go cups of Swiss Bircher Müesli – oats soaked overnight in apple juice, mixed with tart yogurt and delectable fruits and spices.

Wanna kick it up a chia-seed-notch? Enter The Chia Co’s chia seed-based Bircher Müesli pods. Strangely gelatinous, delightfully bright, and undeniably filling, these Aussie imports are designed to rock your morning!

So buck the traditional granola tend. Put on your adventurer hat and go discover the vast world of other diverse breakfast options!

Stay tuned! Part 2 brings on Fruit, Nuts, and Veg.

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