Natural Food Expo West 2006 - A Cornucopia of Organic Foods | Splash Magazines

A staggering 2,500 exhibits featuring products in the natural and organic foods, health supplements, personal care, natural living and more convened for the 25th Annual Natural Food Expo West trade show, held March 23-26, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Retailers, manufacturers and leaders in the natural, organic and wellness industries gathered to take note of trend-setting products for every one, from kids to seniors to pets. With nearly 38,000 industry members registered, the Natural Food Expo West is ranked among the top 100 largest trade shows in the U.S. according to Trade Show Magazine.

The 2006 Natural Food Expo West was a scrumptious smorgasbord of everything organic! From established, mainstream corporations to budding businesses, you name it and it was there.

As a fitness fanatic and healthy-eating enthusiast, I was very excited to enter this organic cornucopia. Amongst my friends, I am the oddity, constantly scanning the nutrition labels for grams of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, sugars, and sodium, and looking for key words like 'organic,' 'natural,' and 'no hydrogenated oils.' At the Natural Food Expo West, however, I was immersed in the majority! With every turn, I was encountered with enticing new products and happily helped myself to a free sample. I was overjoyed to see familiar favorites like Brown Cow Dairy Products and Rudi's Organic Bakery, and to learn about the up-and-coming hottest new products in the natural food industry.

Our editor and published in chief, Lawrence Davis, was truly entertained while I frolicked from booth to booth admiring the Wai Lai Yoga mats and sampling the gluten-free bunt cakes. He laughed every time I jumped with joy for flax seed, which was quite often. Fellow foodies surrounded me toting eco-friendly canvas bags overflowing with samples of their new-found favorite products. Spirits were high as the crowd nibbled on low glycemic index protein bars and sipped pure glacier water or smooth Hawaiian coffee.

The variety of products offered was astounding! There was truly something for everyone. Scoops of soy, sugar-free ice cream were passed around. Even Haagen-Dazs was present, scooping generous portions of their celebrated, silky smooth ice cream. Byson sausage and egg whites were prepared on hot plates while vitamins claiming to eradicate the first signs of a cold were handed out. Even Lawrence's two dogs scored a plethora of treats from organic dog food companies!

Like children leaving a carnival, we departed from the Natural Food Expo West wonderfully exhausted and delightfully satiated! Instead of cotton candy in our hands, we held pomegranate juice popsicles. Rather than stuffed animals in our arms, we cuddled loaves of organic, wheat-free bread. The Natural Food Expo was truly a delicious delight. A delectable Disneyland for healthy-eating enthusiasts everywhere!