Expo West 2026: Key Trends Shaping the Future of Food

Last week, our team attended Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, one of the largest gatherings in the CPG industry. With thousands of brands, founders, and industry leaders in attendance, the event offered a clear view into the trends shaping the future of food and consumer preferences.

Protein continues to dominate

No surprise here, protein continues to dominate product innovation across nearly every category. From protein water to protein waffles, brands are still competing to deliver higher protein content while maintaining great taste and clean ingredient lists. The “high-protein” callout remains one of the most visible and powerful drivers on packaging, reflecting sustained consumer demand for functional nutrition.

Fiber on the rise

The fiber movement is gaining significant momentum and is starting to share the spotlight with protein, with more brands highlighting fiber content as a key benefit rather than a secondary feature. Ingredients such as chicory root, resistant starches, and naturally fiber-rich bases are appearing more frequently in product formulations. This shift reflects growing consumer awareness of digestive health and the broader wellness benefits associated with fiber.

Gut Health becomes mainstream

Closely tied to the rise in fiber is the continued expansion of gut health focused products. Probiotics, prebiotics, and fermented ingredients appeared across many categories, from functional beverages to snack bars and condiments. What was once a niche health claim now appears to be firmly established in the mainstream, with brands emphasizing the connection between gut health and overall well-being.

Shifting away from Seed Oils

Another noticeable shift was the growing number of products positioning themselves as “seed-oil free.”  Many companies are turning to alternatives such as avocado oil or olive oil and are making this clear on their packaging and signage.

This trend appears to be part of a broader shift in consumer awareness around ingredient quality and overall wellness. As consumers become more educated about how foods are produced and processed, many are seeking products that are strongly aligned with whole-food nutrition. Conversations around inflammation, metabolic health, and ingredient sourcing are becoming more common in mainstream wellness discussions, and brands are responding by simplifying formulations and highlighting oils that consumers perceive as more natural or minimally processed.

The fewer ingredients, the better

Beyond specific ingredients or nutrients, one of the most consistent messages across the show floor was simplicity. Where consumers once focused heavily on counting calories, many are now counting ingredients—and brands are responding accordingly. Booth signage and packaging frequently highlighted “only a few simple ingredients,” “nothing you can’t pronounce,” or short, recognizable ingredient lists. The shift signals a broader consumer desire for transparency and whole-food-based formulations, with simplicity itself becoming a powerful selling point.

Looking ahead

Events like Expo West are always a reminder of how quickly consumer preferences evolve, and how creatively brands respond. While protein continues to anchor the functional food movement, fiber, gut health, ingredient transparency, and product simplicity are increasingly shaping the next wave of innovation.

We’re excited to watch how these trends continue to develop in the year ahead, and are already counting down the days to Expo West 2027: see you there!