Every year at Natural Products Expo West, companies gather to show off new and exciting vegan products that will hit store shelves soon. This year, PETA staffers had a chance to try some of these items and get a sneak peek into the future of animal-friendly foods. Here’s a recap of the products we spotted, which you can expect to see in stores later in 2024 and into 2025.
Easy Eats
From healthy packaged meals to meat-free protein options that will help make dinner easy and delicious, quick foods were everywhere at Expo West this year.
The collaboration between NotCo and The Kraft Heinz Company was the star of the show, with the launch of its animal-friendly Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages, which have the familiar savory, smoky taste but no animal flesh—because every animal is someone who feels love, pain, joy, and fear and deserves our respect.
The Kraft Heinz Not Company’s booth also highlighted the vegan version of the classic creamy Kraft boxed Mac & Cheese, which offers a way to experience a nostalgic taste without exploiting mother cows for their milk.
Asian-inspired eats made a huge splash, too. Some of the products included the following:
- OMNI’s Plant-Based Teriyaki Bao Buns are soft and satisfying.
- Rawmyun’s Savory Curry Ramen is low-oil instant ramen made with rice noodles.
- Sobo Foods’ Chinese “Pork” & Chive Dumplings feature a whopping 19 grams of vegan protein.
- 24vegan’s Vegetable Green Curry with Organic Brown Rice microwave meals are a healthy and quick lunch option.
We also saw packaged Korean kimbap from at least four brands—Baba, Ocean’s Halo, Sunlit, and UNLIMEAT—possibly inspired by the viral success of Trader Joe’s frozen vegan version.
UNLIMEAT, a Korean brand, is also launching its products in U.S. markets, with items like Bulgogi Jumukbap and vegan Pork Mandu.
Vegan chicken is a hit every year, because choosing this delicious and crowd-pleasing option spares the lives of countless intelligent, playful birds. We spotted a few new products, including Chef Chew’s Kitchen’s Spicy Fried Chicken Fillet, Golden Platter’s Angry Birds 100% Plant-Based Chick’n Nuggets, New Breed’s Jamaican Jerk Chik’n, and TiNDLE’s Parmigiana Stuffed Chicken.
Other vegan meats we can’t wait to buy in stores include OMNI’s Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak and Umaro Foods’ Superfood Bacon made from seaweed protein.
For snack time, we loved Parmela Creamery’s Snackables, a Lunchables-style kit with crackers, vegan cheddar cheese, and smoky “meat” slices, and WunderEgg’s Plant-Based Egg(less) Salad.
Finless Favorites
The fishing industry threatens all marine animals—including fish, crabs, octopuses, and whales—who simply want to live in peace. That’s why more people are turning to vegan options for a taste of the sea. Some of the exciting new animal-friendly products we saw at Expo West included Avafina Organics’ Chiaviar, vegan caviar made from chia seeds and seaweed, as well as Franklin Farms’ Plant-Based Tuna, Konscious Foods’ Plant-Based Smoked Salmon, and UNLIMEAT’s Plant-Based Tuna flakes.
Milk-Free Marvels
Dairy is dead—at least the kind that uses milk stolen from baby cows. The future of food is animal-free, and there’s no sign that the vegan dairy industry will slow down anytime soon. Never Better Foods’ Better Than Mozzarella is melty and made with chickpea protein, Simply V’s Plant-Based Cream Cheese comes in a bar for easy measuring, and UMYUM’s dairy-free Camembert cheese and slow-churned butter are stunningly creamy.
We saw cow-free milk and creamers from several brands we know and love. Califia Farms launched a limited-edition Cookies ‘n Crème Almond Creamer, Oatly introduced vegan coffee creamers in several sweet flavors, and TiNDLE expanded from its vegan chicken roots with a new Barista Oat Milk.
Creamy “cheese” sauces were popular, too. House Party’s Cheesy Dip is perfect for a party, and Le Grand’s Mac ‘N Cheeze Sauce makes whipping up your favorite comfort dish easier than ever.
Savory Snacking
Crackers and chips were everywhere, with a healthy spin and a focus on protein. Rivalz stuffed snacks are made with pea flour and brown rice and have 8 grams of protein per serving—along with a huge flavor punch. Mamame Whole Foods Tempeh Chips transform a staple vegan protein into a crunchy, satisfying snack made with black-eyed beans.
“Cheesy” snacks were especially popular: Brutal’s Velvet Cheddar Lupini Bean Puffs, Fair & Square’s allergen- and animal-friendly Cheddar Cheeze Crackers, Mary’s Gone Cheezee Cheddar Flavor Crackers, and Vegan Rob’s Dairy-Free Cheddar Captain Booty (from the creator of Pirate’s Booty).
Sensational Sips
With all the walking and tasting we did, we stopped by the RISE Brewing Co. booth for an energy boost, where we tried its canned Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.
The herbal teas and sparkling botanicals from Rishi Tea & Botanicals are perfect for midweek relaxation, while the fruity canned cocktails from Mixed Up have us excited for summer hangouts.
Stellar Sauces and Spreads
Sauces can make a meal 100 times better. We loved Cocojune’s Lemon Dill Labneh and Mr. Bing x Fabalish Creamy Vegan Chili Crisp Ranch.
Bees work hard to make honey to feed their hives, so we were happy to see some bee-free sweeteners: Mellody’s new Spicy Habanero Plant-Based Hot Honey and Bee Mindful Honee, which is made with apples and also available in a hot version.
We also saw some uniquely flavorful dips, including Growee Foods’ tangy Spiced Mango Dip & Spread and Hodo Foods’ Organic Chili Crisp Dip.
And we can’t forget about Prime Roots’ Koji-Foie Gras spread, which achieves a deep buttery and savory flavor without force-feeding and killing ducks and geese.
Tempting Treats
Doughy’s Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is a newcomer that you can enjoy raw or baked. Eclipse launched creamy plant-based ice cream bonbons covered in crunchy chocolate and available in three flavors: Coffee Almond Crunch, Hazelnut Chocolate Truffle, and Peanut Butter Pretzel. And Holi Scoops’ Discos are frozen cookie dough ice cream bites made with adaptogenic plants.
These are just some of the animal-friendly products featured at Expo West, and there are sure to be many others to look forward to in the coming years as more people go vegan for animals, the planet, and their own health. To learn more about making the transition for yourself, order our free vegan starter kit today:
Send Me a Free Vegan Starter Kit!
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