Weekly Pickups: Expo West 2026 edition
Our favorite bites and sips from the show floor
Hello hello!
It’s officially been a week since Expo West ended, and we finally are operating on more than one shared brain cell (barely). And you know what that means: it’s finally time for us to share some of our favorite finds from the show.
Unlike past Expos, we didn’t spend the majority of my time stuffing our faces with samples (who are we?!). Because we spent a lot of this show doing interviews and—admittedly—schmoozing, we didn’t do quite as much power-hour-style sampling that we’ve practiced in years past. Other caveat: now that we’re more seasoned Professional Snack Samplers™️, we’re fortunate to say that we’ve already tried a lot of products that were being shown. There are SO many fantastic products that were present at Expo, but these are a few that were (mostly) new to us.
Let’s get into it. →
Expo is the ultimate sampling opp—but like any demo opportunity, the post-trial journey is often broken.
Shoppers discover you, pull up your Instagram on their phone, get distracted, and never come back. Post-Expo, every buzzy brand is back home wondering: how do I actually convert this momentum?
That’s a mobile problem. 71% of impulse purchases happen on mobile, meaning the channel where shoppers are most likely to buy on a whim is also the one most brands are least optimized for.
Tapcart surveyed 1,000+ shoppers to develop their Mobile Commerce Trends Playbook—the playbook for fixing that. It digs into how to use AI to predict demand, personalize in real time, and build promotions that don’t tank your margin (because 50% of shoppers will convert at 25% off... so why are brands still bleeding out at 40-50%?).
There are plug-and-play AI workflows, brand strategies from Gymshark, Reformation, and Cymbiotika, and a full breakdown of what’s actually driving impulse purchases in 2026.
Nate’s Best Bites & Sips:
But before we dive in, I want to call out something I noticed across a lot of the brands I loved—and even the ones Jenna loved: they all had relatively simple ingredients and some were even one or two ingredients. This was the overarching trend all the other trends ultimately rolled up to we. Consumers want simple and real ingredients, whether it's "better for you" or not.
Jammy Egg from Chino Valley Ranchers
Believe it or not, this was one of the very first things Jenna and I bit into on the show floor. Starting you day off with an egg wasn’t my first choice, but Chino Valley Ranchers was showing off their ready-to-eat, fully cooked, soft-boiled egg with a custard-like, 7-minute-style yolk and I couldn’t say no!
I was very impressed with two things, the taste and texture. It had that perfect center which was jammy but not runny. I’m not a sunny-side up kinda egg guy, feels too messy, but I like the taste of a runny egg. These were also leagues better than a bag of those hard boiled eggs from Trader Joe’s, plus they didn’t have that weird egg-smell. Never in a million years did I think I'd walk away from Expo raving about a packaged boiled egg. But, hey, here we are.
Egglife Chocolate wrap (pre-launch)
Speaking of eggs…Egglife was showing off an unreleased chocolate flavored version of their low-carb high-protein egg wrap. And it was genuinely delicious (granted they did stuff it with some kind of sweet cheese filling). Egglife is a line of wraps and pastas that check almost every trend there is— it’s high-protein, has simple ingredients, low-calorie, keto-friendly, gluten-free, low-carb. Usually when a product hits too many trends it often misses on one thing, one big thing, taste. This brand nailed the taste and texture of these products, it’s a healthy brand that doesn’t feel like too many compromises are being made. I think Egglife is a severely underrated brand that many consumers, especially in this extremely health conscious world, would love to consume.
Baking Mixes: Mochi Foods Mix and Cravings by Chrissy
One of the trends we specifically called out in our 2026 recap was the rise of a new generation of baking mixes, i.e. the next Betty Crocker, but with better ingredients and a more modern sensibility. Two brands stood out to me, Mochi Foods and Cravings by Chrissy.
Mochi Foods, as the name suggests, makes mochi-based mixes of brownies, pancakes, waffles, you name it. What I didn’t know until the show is that Mochi Foods is the leading distributor of mochi-based products in the US ever since they introduced the first-ever mochi donut to the market in 2016. Plus they’re a 100% family-owned business, and you can feel that care in the product. But how’s the product? As a self-proclaimed mochi lover, I think they absolutely nail the texture. It’s perfectly chewy and fluffy at the same time.
Cravings by Chrissy—the culinary brand founded by Chrissy Teigen—was there with a full lineup, but the standout for me was their new carrot cake mix. And fun fact, it’s the exact recipe that Chrissy and John Legend had at their wedding! How cute is that?!
What I loved most about both of these brands is that they’re just good, tasty baking mixes. No crazy ingredients or claims, they’re simply tasty baked goods you can easily make at home. It’s honestly a breath of fresh air in the world of so many claims and so many brands removing sugars, and oils, and fats that are totally fine for you.
Koia Protein Pop and Protein Water (pre-launch)
You didn’t think I’d get through an Expo West list without a protein product, did you? Well don’t worry, I’m here now. Koia, known for their plant-based protein shakes and powder, was showing off their protein soda as well as a pre-launch clear protein water.
Their protein soda was basically every food and beverage trend rolled up into one. It has protein, fiber, it’s plant-based, and even low-sugar. It’s like they saw the trends from the last few years and said “put that in a drink!” And I’m glad they did because it tastes really good.
But the thing that really impressed me was the fact that they nailed clear plant-based protein. Clear whey protein drinks have become far more common, but clear plant-based protein is a whole different challenge. Pea protein in particular tends to turn murky, chalky, and carry an offputting flavor that’s hard to mask. But Koia nailed it here, both in their pop but also their clear protein water
Stone and Skillet - Orange Cranberry and Strawberry
If you don’t eat carbs—one, what is wrong with you, and two, I’m asking you to make an exception here. Because these are that good.
Stone & Skillet is a family-owned artisan English muffin bakery just outside Boston, and they make New England-style muffins truly worth seeking out. I worked my way through most of their lineup at their booth, and if you can only try one, go with the Orange Cranberry. It’s not overly sweet, has a lovely orange kick, and pairs beautifully with the tartness of the cranberries.
On top of the product, they debuted a full rebrand on the show floor for the first time, and it was well executed—bold and colorful without losing the warmth and approachability a family bakery brand should carry. A great story, a great product, and now a brand that looks the part.
Just like the baking mixes I mentioned earlier, it’s refreshing to see brands lean into simplicity and tradition. Not all products need to chase trends and be incredibly buzzy, they just need to taste freaking great.
Nate’s Non-Exhibiting Faves
HydraBurst Electrolyte Gummies
The best part about this show is you’ll be having a conversation with someone and then they’ll just whip out a random snack sample. This happened to me more than once, and one of the times was with Adam from The Angel Group who gave me these hydration gummies from VitaSweets. Hydration gummies are not new, but these have something I haven't quite experienced before. They taste exactly like lemon lime Gatorade. It's kind of wild when you pop one in your mouth for the first time. Literally the first thing that came out of my mouth when I tried one was “that tastes like the yellow Gatorade.” They're pre-launch, but if you want something from the same team right now, they have a hydration powder in the same flavor you can grab today. The full gummy launch is one to watch.
Fuzzee is a line of ready-to-drink sparkling cold brew coffee in a can, so think: cold brew that someone ran through a SodaStream. I got to try two of their three flavors, unsweetened and vanilla, and both were really well done. Though I’m most partial to the unsweetened one. I know some of you don’t like carbonated drinks, but hear me out. The carbonation level is just right, it’s not too bubbly that it’s harsh but also not under-carbonated. It gives it a unique “bite” that is hard to describe beyond that. the coffee flavor is clean, and it doesn’t have that over-roasted bitterness that sometimes plagues canned cold brew.
And Fuzzee is not the only canned carbonated coffee drink on the market, Esspo a sparkling espresso tonic also just launched and is also very tasty. There’s clearly a resurgence happening in coffee right now and I’m fully here for it. So if you’re a cold brew person who’s ever wished it had a little fizz, this one’s for you.
Jenna’s Best Bites
I am so excited that this Singapore-based brand has made its way to the US. I was first pulled in by Mamame’s gorgeous packaging, then by the word “tempeh” (I am a simple pescatarian girl, what can I say), and finally by the mere concept of a new, innovative savory snack that isn’t a beef tallow potato chip 🙃. These chips are made with black-eyed beans, tapioca flour, and coconut oil—they’re a natural source of protein and fiber (10g and 14g per package, respectively), and their flavors deliver.
I’d seen Mamame at a previous trade show, but this Expo, the brand showed up with flavor at the forefront. They had everything from Churros to Hot Chili and a new sweet Cheese flavor, each perfectly seasoned and layered on top of an already deliciously nutty, crunchy base. The Hot Chili is my favorite, but you truly can’t go wrong with this brand.
Nomad Snacks Pad Thai Popcorn
As we mentioned in the trend recap, global flavors were present in a whole new way during this show. This was a delightful surprise for me—I adore popcorn, and though there were plenty of other popcorns on the show floor (including an especially buzzy Kardashian-affiliated one, might I add), this was the real standout for me.
Nomad Popcorn was made by a San Diego-based chef who puts flavor above all else. Each flavor—from Chimichurri to Ramen—offered a bright, bold, transportive flavor journey. As a Pad Thai lover, this combo of lime, soy, chili and herbs was a winner for me. The future of snacking is intentional global flavor, and I’m so here for it.
Sensing a theme here? Now that I’ve officially outed myself as a pad thai fiend, let’s get onto the crux of this Expo find: this is a prime example of the future of frozen food. Tem Toa is a new frozen brand created by the team behind Deep Indian Kitchen—the #1 frozen Indian brand in America. It is (somehow) the first US frozen brand dedicated exclusively to Thai cuisine, and, being the Thai food fan that I am, I was admittedly skeptical.
I was shocked that I was eating something that came from a frozen box. I can’t speak to the authenticity of this brand or dish (I’ve only participated in Thai cuisine via American Thai restaurants…), but I can say that it could stack up against takeout. I was most impressed by the textures present in this sample; usually, frozen dishes heat up into a gloopy single-texture slop. But this brought a ton of textural variety: still-crisp steamed veggies, bouncy fried tofu, and noodles with the perfect chew. I’m so excited for this to launch in freezers soon!
‘ndulge Salted Caramel Almond Greek Yogurt Bars
As we said on the pod: protein ice cream was a big theme this show. And while the quality of protein ice creams is overall on the up-and-up, I still don’t usually get all that giddy about a protein ice cream. But this one… this would be one of my favorite bites even if it didn’t have protein in it. It’s just that good.
‘ndulge, a new frozen greek yogurt bar brand made by the brains behind Keto Pint, is exactly as advertised: crazy indulgent. Think of these as a better-for-you Magnum bar—creamy, decadent, frozen greek yogurt (that really just tastes like ice cream) swirled with caramel, speckled with salt, and coated in a rich chocolate and crunchy almonds. There are so many lackluster low-calorie or high-protein frozen novelties on the shelf, but these are, frankly, not even in the same league. In my opinion, they’re up against the “real” ice cream bars in terms of taste and texture—and just so happen to pack in 10g protein and only 4g sugar per 160-calorie bar.
Jenna’s Non-Exhibiting Faves
Something magical about Expo is that—if you’re creative enough—it democratizes sampling at scale. Sure, not every brand can afford a booth. But if you come to Anaheim with a backpack full of samples and gumption, you can squeeze a lot out of three days on the show floor. Every year, we try multiple products from a rogue hand-off, paired with the ten-second pitch that’s afforded before someone inevitably interrupts. And every year, they’re somehow some of our favorite finds. These were mine.
Lebby - New Dark Chocolate Pistachios
At our Bubba Gump Shrimp event, word got out that there was a Lebby dealer… and I was quick to discover the source (their lovely Head of Ops, Zeynep). Admittedly, I was already familiar with the brand—I used to order them from Thrive Market! I first fell in love with their dry roasted chickpea snacks coated in dark chocolate, which taste just like a Whopper.
But at our event, I got to try their brand-new chocolate-coated pistachios, and I’m a fan. As we’ve said, pistachios (and pistachio chocolate combo) were a big trend at the show. But these aren’t just a pistachio-flavored something—they’re a full celebration of the nut. They’re made with densely flavored, perfectly roasted Mediterranean pistachios and a premium European chocolate—you can taste the difference.
Also at our Bubba Gump event (had to be there), I met the wonderful founder behind Samsara Nutrition: a new “spice-forward” protein bar inspired by Indian flavors. I’m picky about a protein bar—I try so many—and often feel like there’s no innovation left to be unlocked in this category. Samsara proved me wrong.
An almond-butter-based bar with only 2g sugar, 15g protein, and 7g of fiber, this is a dense bar with the most satisfying chew and protein crisps dotted throughout for added texture. What’s really exciting about it, though, is the flavor. The Spiced Chai isn’t just a suggestion of chai or a cinnamon dusting—it covers every base of chai flavor, from cardamom and cloves to a smidge of black pepper. It’s spicy, sweet, a little savory, and overall a reminder that protein products can have an artisanal, culinary spin—we don’t need to settle for cookie dough (that never tastes like cookie dough).
The Cycle - Period Comfort Drink
I met Anastasia, the wonderful founder of The Cycle, at a talk during Expo. She came up to me after the talk ended, and presented me with her gorgeous line of functional beverages designed around women’s hormonal health. I tried the Period Relief bev, and though I can’t yet speak to its functionality, I immediately fell in love with the taste. The star ingredient is sea buckthorn, an ancient Himalayan berry, and it’s packed with other goodness like raspberry leaf, nettle, and fennel—specifically designed to help target period symptoms. Super excited to keep testing this out and supporting a brand that’s dedicated to a taboo, yet burgeoning, category.
These single bites are part of a much larger story… which we covered in this week’s episode of The Curious Consumer! Check out our full Expo recap, including the trends we saw on the show floor (and why they matter for CPG in 2026). →
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at hello@expresscheckout.co
Thanks for another fun and informative weekly pick up! I’m ready to try many of the products you shared from the Expo.
sparkling coffee is calling my name!