Thoughts from the Natural Product Expo, Part I

by kiwilog

I’ve been there too. “Mom, I’m hungry right now! No, I don’t want an apple or a cheese stick!” It’s always a struggle to balance good-for-you with what they (or you) really want. Although my husband and I are still “head of household” on paper, I often feel that my 4 and 6 year old kids are the true power brokers.

I recently visited the Natural Products Expo, a trade show for natural and organic products, and discovered a slew of cool products that should help you in that ongoing struggle. Many of these or similar products can be found in your local health food store; others can be special ordered or should be coming soon.

My Top Picks:

Organic B.R.A.T. Diet: I wish this had been around when I was trying to get my kids to choke down Pedialyte. Sweetened with apple and banana puree, it is designed to naturally promote electrolyte balance. It’s based on the B.R.A.T. Diet (stands for the diet your mom fed you when you were recovering from an upset stomach: Bananas, Rice, Applesauce & Toast- only this version is gluten, dairy, soy and corn free) and it really tastes good. This won the show’s “Most Innovative Product Award”. (bratdiet.org)
Red’s All Natural Burritos: Turkey Mole, Chicken, Big Green Veggie and Steak. (redsallnatural.com)
evol. Burritos: Eleven mouthwatering varieties including Cilantro Chicken, Breakfast Skillet and Tofu & Spinach Saute. (evolburritos.com)
Native Water: Water from the Berkshires bottled in an earth-friendly plastic bottle. The bottle “returns to the environment within 1 to 5 years” due to the “Ecopure” FDA-approved substance. I can’t wait for this bottle to become mainstream! (earthfriendlybottle.com)
Ayala’s Herbal Water: water lightly and deliciously flavored with lavender mint or cinnamon orange peel (and other flavors). I just loved the originality and the taste. (herbalwater.com)
Golden Valley Natural Winchester snack bars: This company has a full line of beef jerky, which scared me off initially. However, the Beef and Berry (dried beef & cranberries) and Pork & Fruit (dried pork, cherries & apple) sounded awful but were great! I was also surprised to really enjoy their turkey jerky and Fruit Stix. (goldenvalleynatural.com)
Vermont Cookie Love: if you don’t want to make cookies from scratch, or yearn for some interesting new varieties like mocha or pumpkin chocolate chip, look no further. It’s frozen dough shaped like a burrito. (vermontcookielove.com)