Natural Products Expo West 2026: The Best New Vegan Products I’m Spotting

Each year, Natural Products Expo West sets the stage for what’s coming to grocery shelves and 2026 is already delivering a wave of new plant-based product launches.

This is my fifth time attending the show in Anaheim, and in this running coverage post, I’ll be highlighting the most interesting new vegan products I’m seeing on the floor along with a few broader observations about where the plant-based category seems to be heading.

If you’re curious which new vegan products could be heading to stores in 2026, read on as I’ll be updating this post with coverage throughout the show.

DAY ONE COVERAGE: 3/4/2026

New items from Sweet Loren’s and Abe’s debut

Sweet Loren’s were sampling their new bake-at-home scones, oatmeal bars and bread sticks and Abe’s Muffins had their carrot cake cupcakes, holiday cupcakes, gluten-free muffins and four-pack muffins coming to stores. They used to offer four-packs but they’ve been gone a while. Glad to see them coming back to retail.

New innovations in plant-based meats

Switch was a brand I was not familiar with but they were offering types of vegan proteins I’ve not seen before like Kafta and chicken shawarma. I really liked them and they also had a chicken tender that was excellent. Argo was offering plant-based jerky sticks in four flavors and confirmed they were vegan. Upton’s has developed a new version of their seitan recipe that’s softer and part of their new inspired plant proteins line. They said they’re experimenting with more flavors and were also celebrating 20 years in business which is a notable achievement.

New Snacks

Lots of snack options this year. Of note were that Vegan Robb’s is changing their name to Captain Bootyhead and should be rolling out this year to stores. El Nacho’s pineapple BBQ were one of the best things I ate today which both shocked and delighted me. Hippeas has gone through a packaging refresh as well as offering some new protein chips and new flavors of their puffs.

New sweets

Ritter announced that they’re bringing back their plant-based chocolate line they debuted a few years back but never really made to a lot of store shelves. The previous flavors will be vegan as well as new ones like this cookies and crispy flakes bar. Flavored dates was a big trend I noticed with many brands offering sour or unusual flavors. True Dates caramel popcorn was a standout to me though. RipVan had some great vegan options and Pur has sour gum pieces that were huge and very tasty. The watermelon in particular was surprisingly tasty.

New non-dairy

Lots of non-dairy options to be found like Natures Charm ube condensed milk. They knew about my Rice Krispies treats recipe that uses their oat milk condensed milk as the secret ingredient so that was fun! Jeni’s ice cream had a delicious banana pudding ice cream that the said was coming to both their scoop shops and to retail in pints. Nut Pods has some new packaging and limited flavors that will be coming out this year. Elmhurst has new protein drinks which was another big trend. Everyone wants more protein although I’ve never heard of anyone really being deficient. Shire’s brand ravioli is one brand I’d love to see in more stores and they’re working on it. They also were sampling a new vegan risotto that was very good. Fabalish always brings fun flavors to their line of excellent condiments and their fry sauce did not disappoint.

More items!

Lots more including super tasty new flavors from Madly Hadley (couldn’t decide if I liked their new ranch or truffle parm more!), Clusterbucks debuted new Lil Bucks crispy treats made with vegan D3, new Octonuts flavors, Liquid Death energy drinks, Kooshy mini sourdough croutons and Gimme k-crisps seaweed toppings that were outstanding!

Can anyone attend ExpoWest?

One of the questions I get every year when I share coverage from Natural Products Expo West is: “How can I go to this?”

Expo West isn’t open to the general public. It’s a trade show designed for professionals in the natural products industry including retailers, buyers, distributors, brands, media, and content creators (like me!) covering the event. That means most attendees are there working the show floor, meeting with brands, or scouting new products that may eventually make their way into stores.

However, there are a few ways people do get access. Retail buyers attend to discover new products for their shelves, emerging brands exhibit to launch or showcase innovations, and accredited media and industry creators are often invited to cover the show and report on trends and new products. The event also hosts educational sessions and networking opportunities throughout the week.

For anyone passionate about natural and plant-based foods, it’s easy to see why Expo West generates so much excitement. The show floor is packed with thousands of brands debuting new products, and many of the items spotted here eventually show up in grocery stores months later. It’s essentially a first look at where the natural and vegan food industry is headed.