I had so much fun at Expo West ’13 that I just had to come back for another year as a member of the press. It’s only a week before I'm back in Anaheim and back interacting with some amazing gluten-free and allergen-friendly brands. I am lucky enough to be part of the We.Blog team of editorial bloggers with Delicious Living and New Hope 360, the great people who put on this wild and crazy event. After pouring through so many press releases that my eyes are now crossed, I put together my list of new products and vendors I’m excited to try at this year’s Expo West.

Check out my top pre-expo picks, including High Brew Coffee's cold-brew ready-to-drink coffee, Beanitos puffs and Quinn Popcorn's new "Farm-to-Bag" pre-popped popcorn! New celiac-friendly products are launching in every food and drink category at Natural Products Expo West.
On top of all the new gluten-free and allergen-friendly products I’m excited about, there are also a ton of featured education events – so we can all learn and not just stuff our faces. I’m most energized about the Specialty Diets workshop on Thursday. There are also several sessions throughout Expo that focus on trends and insights into natural consumers. I love this 1) because I am one and 2) because I work in market research outside of my life as a food blogger. I listen to trend reports like the average person watches blockbuster movies. Food nerd alert!

But that’s just some of Expo West. You’ll re-evaluate your entire world under the umbrella of “natural” and “organic” – from pet food to bath products to beauty products. While I may be there to check out the gluten-free food, you bet your bum that I’ll be perusing all of the other vendors too. There’s also the glorious parties and vendor meet-ups and networking as far as the eye can see. You’ll never meet this collection of specialty food vendors outside of this conference. Expo West is THE place to be for specialty diets and natural and organic products.

Editor's note: Erica blogs regularly at celiacandthebeast.com.