Need to Know

New Natural Goodies You Should Know About

By: Karen Cicero

It’s Vegas, baby! OK, I got that out of my system. I’m actually blogging today from the Natural Products Association MarketPlace in what is, ironically, the least natural city on Earth: Las Vegas. Hundreds of natural food and beauty companies have set up their booths here and brought experts with them to answer questions. Take a spin around with me.

The booth with the gorgeous display of peonies catches my eye, but first I have to try the vegan, gluten-free chocolate cake from Blossom Fine Foods. I’m prepared to take that polite first bite and then excuse myself before I have to eat the rest, but it is genuinely delicious -- and I’m not even following a vegan or gluten-free diet.

“How did you get the frosting to taste so good without any dairy?” I ask the company’s owner.

“I use vanilla soymilk,” she tells me. “It makes the icing more flavorful than regular soymilk.” Genius!

Next, I stop at the Burt’s Bees booth because I’m addicted to the company’s lip balm. Before I can even introduce myself, two people tag-team me about the company’s new line of hair care products made from Baobab oil. “What’s Baobab?” I ask, realizing that it sounds familiar.

“It’s oil extracted from an African tree. It’s very moisturizing and contains vitamins A, C and E.” They give me a bottle to take home. (I’ll let you know how it works.)       

My next cool stop: The Real Deal All Natural Snacks. “Do you want to taste our new veggie chips?” asks one of the founders of this family-owned business. She handed me a one-portion bag of what looked like mint-green Fritos, telling me “there’s a serving of peas in every bag.”

Wild! I couldn’t detect a hint of pea taste in the chips. My 9-year-old, who actually likes peas, tries them too and thinks they taste like regular corn chips. “Mom, can you put these in my lunch for camp?” she asks.

I stroll around for at least another hour or so, dropping by booths for natural insect repellent, baby lotion, and omega-3 supplements, but I want to tell you about the last booth I stop at. It’s Anna’s Choice, a company that makes squeezable nut butters and jarred crushed pecans to shake on a salad or yogurt. The products are great, but what I learn from a nutritionist who is checking out the booth too is even cooler: “Of all nuts, pecans are particularly rich in a potent form of vitamin E,” she says. “There was a recent study that showed they help reduce bad cholesterol and inflammation.” Now that just made my day.

What are your favorite natural products?

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