The Best New Groceries Hitting the Market This Year, According to a Dietitian Who Just Tried Hundreds

I’ve been attending Expo West for more than a decade, and I always make a point to stop by the Seven Sundays booth — it’s a place that radiates nourishment and happiness. Their new granola has freeze-dried fruit inside, which gives it a sweet pop of flavor, crunch and is mighty tasty! They also showcased their new oat cakes — pancakes made from oats — which will soon hit markets nationwide, and I’m so excited for!

My college-aged daughters go crazy for ramen noodles, but many brands use frying or high-heat quick-drying, which can compromise taste and health. A-Sha is changing the game with its patented low-temperature drying process and noodles. This method preserves nutrients and gives noodles a consistently chewy, non-mushy texture that holds up beautifully in sauces, soups and stir-fries. It also provides 11 grams of protein and is ready in five minutes. I feel good about sending my daughters these noodles to college and buying them for my own home as a quick and easy base for noodle dishes.

Foods and beverages with fiber and protein popped up all over the show, but it was so nice to see a product that naturally provides both nutrients front and center. Lentils are a powerhouse of fiber and protein, along with other nutrients like iron, folate and potassium. There were a variety of flavors including Mexican Green Chile, Thai Coconut Curry and French Mirepoix. The warming flavor of the vegetable harvest was filling and kept me satisfied. Plus, the line of low-sodium options (like this one) helps keep sodium at bay.

Bonduelle is a lovely company that has been inspiring people to eat delicious plant-rich, chef-crafted meals. Their newest lines of Wellness bowls and Lunch Bowls reflect their philosophy. I love a nice salad with a punch of fruit — so that’s the one I would buy for myself. The Apple Feta and Cashew Edamame were light and flavorful as well. It’s a reasonably priced salad that I can have for lunch when I work at home and tote with me when I’m on the go.

Felicia is a pasta company that makes lines of whole grain, legume, and superfood pastas. Oats was a micro trend at the show, and Felicia spotlighted their oat spaghetti which was so delightful! I have tasted some of their other offerings in past shows, like red lentil penne and brown rice & spirulina and the texture is tender and really works well with a variety of sauces.

Flavoring your weeknight dishes has gotten so easy with SPICEK!CK. In the show, the brand showcased their Sloppy Joe and Tuna Salad packs, which had the perfect amount of flavorings. I took the Sloppy Joe seasoning mix home, and it came out perfectly when I made it at home and followed the package directions. Even better, it cut down on some of my prep time, too.

Gimme’s seaweed snacks have been a staple in my home and eaten regularly by my college-aged daughters. I was thrilled to see their newest innovation of crispy seaweed toppings that will soon be available in sea salt and chili flavors. They had the seaweed snack flavor I love, but in crunchy pieces that can be used to top salads, soups and my daughter’s beloved poke bowls.

International flavors were another trend that I’ve been seeing at the show since right before the pandemic, and it continues to grow. Herbs like cilantro and basil were seen in many new innovations, including this chutney. MAAZAH highlights the first generation Afghan Americans, who were inspired by the flavors of their mom’s kitchen. The cilantro chutney was bursting with fresh herb-y cilantro, garlic, and ginger flavors with a zing of lemon and jalapeno.

Tart cherries were another micro trend at the show. I use 100% tart cherry juice in my smoothies and dressings at home, but the booth was showcasing shot size bottles of tart cherry juice made with Montmorency cherries. There is a good body of evidence that shows that tart cherry juice can aid in exercise recovery, especially to help reduce muscle soreness, inflammation and damage. The shot-sized bottles aren’t available as of yet, but you can find their original or pure tart cherry juice on their website.

There were lots of beverage innovations, including from The Republic of Tea, who just released an Organic SuperShroom™ Collection using functional mushrooms. I tried the entire collection, but the Calm SuperShroom blend of reishi mushrooms with harmonizing botanicals resonated most with my functional needs and had a warming, slightly woody flavor.

Another trend I observed at the show was beverages sweetened with small amounts of cane sugar, agave, honey or other natural sweeteners. Just Ice Tea also released a new Watermelon Lime flavor that was absolutely delicious with a light balance of the watermelon and lime with a touch of sweetness. Look for this flavor at distributors over the next few months.

True Dates is a brand from Denmark that have made dates taste and have a mouthfeel like gummies. Instead of eating candy, they coat dates, which have a gummy-like consistency, with flavors like sour apple, sour watermelon, creamy peanut butter and sweet peach. I tried a few flavors but loved the sour apple flavor that did make my lips pucker just like some of those sour candies. It’s a fun spin on gummies using a fruit as a base so that you do get nutrients like fiber and potassium.

As a registered dietitian (RD), sweets and treats can be part of a healthy lifestyle when eaten in small tasty better-for-you baked good innovations, including Bunnie Cakes. This refrigerated batter doesn’t need any mixing or measuring so you get perfect results every time. The ingredient list is thoughtful and a good option if you’re looking for batter without artificial colors. It’s also allergen-friendly and school-friendly, meaning it’s free of dairy, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soy and sesame.

The show highlighted baking innovations that are allergy-friendly and so tasty that you won’t realize they’re vegan and gluten-free. Sweet Loren’s allergen- and school-friendly pre-formed cookies are 70 calories each. The booth was constantly swarming with people trying to get more samples of their cookies and their latest innovation, scones.