It’s that time of year again, to make the pilgrimage to the land of all things gluten free.
I had the opportunity to be an official blogger at the 2018 Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo again. Was it worth going?
You bet. If you or your child struggle with food allergies, a resource like this is invaluable. Two days came and went, just like that. So many foods to try. It was a little overwhelming…and filling.
So what did you miss?
On the downside, they didn’t have many of the companies that were there last year. I for one was quite disappointed that BFree was not there. I can’t find their wraps anywhere, so I was all set to stock up, but they weren’t there. 😞
On the bright side, that left lots of space for other products. There were many new companies that weren’t there last year and some tried and true regulars that were introducing new products.
Some regulars were Ronzoni Gluten Free,  Garden Lites,  Enjoy Life, Everybody Eats, Schar, Aleias, Mozaics, Brazi Bites and many others.
Some companies/products I don’t recall seeing before were Om Sweet Home, Undercover Quinoa, Om Botanical, Bosquet, Extra White Gold, GeeFree and many more.
They had several presenters give lectures for those new to gluten free eating. Topics covered issues such as what if you’re still having symptoms to avoiding nutritional deficiencies.
Parking was easy and free!
Each attendee received a tote bag with a few samples, coupons and other information. The bag was a good size to carry all your other samples and purchases.
As a blogger we were able to go in a bit earlier for a meet and greet sponsored by BioK+, a probiotic company. They gave us a tote with an insulated Klean Kanteen and a coupon for a free 6 pack of their probiotic that we can try. We also spent time speaking with company representatives and trying products. We were made to feel very welcome. All our questions were happily answered.
Even though I came hungry, I filled up quickly and wasn’t able to taste all they had to offer. There were nut butters, noodles, cakes, cookies, pastries, condiments, pizza crusts, protein bars, snack bars, bread, pudding, cheesecake, chips, pretzels, etc. It was all gluten free and most were allergen friendly. That doesn’t mean it was all healthy.
Besides the food products, there were essential oils, household cleaners, camps, health services, health and beauty products, etc.
As the venue filled up, moving around and getting to the vendor’s tables became a little trickier. I feel like there was plenty of space and it could have been spread out a little more.
Overall, I was pleased with the experience. I was introduced to several new products. What a great opportunity, especially if you are new to eating gluten/nut/dairy free.
Stay tuned, I have several product reviews in the works that I am excited to share with you. Sure, I’ll let you know if it tastes good, but I’ll also let you know how it stacks up health-wise.
I’ve previously written reviews on Ronzoni, Undercover Quinoa and others on my blog. You can check those out.
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