At the country's biggest food industry trade show, everything is just for you

ANAHEIM, California — Good-for-you sodas. Regenerative everything. Snacks, snacks, snacks. The country's largest food industry trade show, held last week, offered a glimpse into the grocery store's rising stars, wannabes and still-hot trends.

Natural Products Expo West — filled with thousands of booths boasting boutique brands, and with more than 70,000 attendees — is all about finding, or becoming, the next big thing in food.

Jockeying for attention from the nation's largest retailers and distributors, brands were big on world flavors, clean labels and functional benefits.

But the sum of the offerings was more like a streaming service than a movie theater. There was something for everyone, yet most products were unlikely to reach a mass audience. The emphasis among many startups and smaller brands is on personalization and filling niches, like hormone health and allergy-friendly.

"Food is like religion: You don't tell people how to eat, you don't tell people what to believe in," said Rich Gamill, managing partner of Proterra Investment Partners in Minneapolis, an attendant at the trade show. "It's about giving consumers choices — you do you, and you follow your own journey with food."

Here are a few of the trends that stood out at Expo West in 2024:

The U.S. remains a nation of grazers, sipping and dipping our way to caloric contentment. Marrying the consumer quests for both convenience and better-for-you foods, many brands are putting a healthy shine on old favorites, like chips and crackers, while others peddle more bars and smoothies that have long attracted health-conscious buyers.

Minnesota-based Maazah, best known for its chutneys and aioli that won the pitch slam at last year's Expo West, unveiled a new line of lentil dips that will hit stores later this year. Also in the dipping category, Minnesota-based Flackers recently revealed its refreshed packaging and new flavors.

Fungi is still gaining momentum with more brands trying to capitalize on the properties of mushrooms that are said to improve focus and reduce stress. Coffee blended with lion's mane and other mushrooms was a recurring theme throughout the show floor. Vendors were flush with mushroom protein powders, gummies and supplements.

There were plenty of truffles, the richly flavorful mushrooms, too, and a 139-year-old Japanese company brought a shiitake powder it hopes to start importing to the U.S. soon.

Growth has slowed in the $60 billion organic food industry in the U.S., but regenerative agriculture is ready to carry the baton for foods that are better for the environment.

Regenerative is catch-all term for a range of farm practices that benefit the soil and watershed, and purportedly can increase nutrition density in crops. It's now a sought-after label for companies looking to stand out in an increasingly crowded natural food space.

Patagonia Provisions featured ingredients from Minnesota's A-Frame Farm, which uses regenerative practices, in products like crackers. And General Mills dedicated much of its towering exhibit to its regenerative commitments.

While less emphasis was placed on satisfying the needs of a keto diet, brands are still pushing out low-carb offerings that often come with a high fiber content. Which is promising, considering nearly every American fails to get enough dietary fiber on a daily basis.

A new pasta from General Mills' innovation team, Carbe Diem, uses modified wheat starch to keep the carbohydrates and calories lower while getting a big boost of fiber.

Packaging innovations were a big draw at this year's show. It was not uncommon to see adults slurping down squeeze-pouches of smoothies — a format typically reserved for kids' apple sauce.

Less plastic, more compostable and all-around renewable packaging was a theme at the show, which also happened to create daily piles of trash and recycling throughout the packed exhibition halls.

The fast success of Olipop, a low-sugar soda loaded with prebiotic fiber, has spawned numerous competitors all hoping to grab a piece of the fizzy functional beverage space that kombucha brands pioneered years ago.

Some had electrolytes or adaptogens, a term for herbs and plants extracts that could help reduce stress and improve well-being. Some brands used novel sweeteners or unexpected flavors, while others were just flavored bubbly water.

While meatless chicken nuggets still had a home this year at Expo West, the trend is now focused on just getting more plants on the plate and finding new ways to broaden the industry's appeal, experts said.

"We have to be comfortable being a part of the plate (plant-based burgers with dairy cheese, for example) and we've got to find ways to access new audiences and reel people in slowly," said Jay Margolis, CEO of market research firm Spins. "Because change is hard."

Natural and organic food and beverages remain a faster growing segment than food as a whole, due in part to price increases, a wealthier consumer base and selective splurging from shoppers outside the core audience.