By Julie Zagars, natural products industry expert, for ROOT.
If you were unable to attend Newtopia Now in Denver in August, this blog will bring you up to speed on some highlights. These are eight of the top trends I spotted, which means these are the categories you’re likely to see expand in the months to come, with some of the products you’ll likely see appear on grocery shelves in the next 6-12 months. (For more on the trends we saw, and tips on which trade shows to attend and how to get the most out of them, check out our webinar “Newtopia Now Highlights & Trends” here.)
Maximizing Protein
You won’t be surprised to hear that protein-packed foods reigned supreme at Newtopia Now. Going beyond energy bars, brands continue to help consumers meet their high-protein goals by adding protein to all sorts of treats – including Simply Protein tortilla chips, Unwaffle waffles, Clear Protein Soda, Projo’s Power Coffee enhanced with collagen, and more (even if the U.S. recommended daily allowance for protein has not been updated in 50 years). That Classic Margherita pizza from Loopini was quite good! They won the People’s Choice Award at Naturally Network’s pitch slam event, “Naturally Rising.”
Perhaps most surprising was the fact that there were at least four different frozen dessert brands on the Newtopia Now show floor that all featured high-protein offerings. Smearcase was even the winner of Thursday’s Conscious Beauty & Wellness Pitch Event. Their name comes from the German word schmierkäse, or cottage cheese, which is their differentiating ingredient. My favorite sample was the Apple Pie flavor from The Frozen One, which boasts 40 grams of protein per pint, and has, on average, 75% less fat and 62% less sugar than traditional ice cream.
Unexpected Bone Broth
Relatedly, brands are increasingly incorporating broth into their ingredient lists, to boost protein. We saw venison bone broth in Lu’au Stew, a baby food from Piko Provisions, that’s also loved by athletes… bovine bone broth as an ingredient in the protein-packed Marinara from Sturdy Sauce… åKrrush debuted a line of powdered Norwegian bone broths delivering 13 grams of protein per serving… and Hol Bar is a treat with 20 grams of protein from chicken bone broth in a salted chocolate bar (!)
Transparency
What’s the opposite of green-washing? “Green-hushing” – the hot new term for truly authentic but humble companies! These brands are dedicated to transparency and not trumpeting their ever-improving attributes until everything’s locked in. For instance, they may be working towards securing their Regenerative Organic Certification but they won’t mention they’re pursuing that prestigious recognition until they’ve fully completed the process. And we appreciate any effort toward self-improvement, soil health enhancement, and more brands striving for ROC! We cheer Frontier Co-Op, who has rolled out a new line of Regenerative Organic Certified spices, with a blue ribbon on their label for easy spotting.
Brands are also touting short ingredient lists, like Eden’s Unsinful Pleasures Fig Wellness Bar – “figs, oats, walnuts, tahini, chia” – and nothing more. Brause’s Apple Soda is a German apfelsaft, and it’s literally just carbonated organic apple juice. It’s crisp, it’s clean, it’s lemony, it’s fizzy – it’s delicious. I also appreciate that Farmwell’s canned hydration beverage line is not carbonated, has no sugar added, no caffeine, no preservatives, and no added colors or artificial flavors, while being a totally refreshing way to feature antioxidant superstars aronia berries, which are native to the American northeast.
Founded by a woman who is a third-generation pecan farmer, the Pecana brand recently transitioned its entire product line to USDA Organic. Pecana’s Unsweetened Pecan Milk is a seed oil–free alt-milk, made with just four simple ingredients. Likewise, MALK’s new Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk boasts just filtered water, organic soybeans, and organic Himalayan pink salt.
Really Sweet
Brands are shrugging off stevia and other sugar substitutes, instead, embracing the real deal… like cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey, and dates or date syrup. The Conscious Bar is sweetened with dates and again, has a really short ingredient list: just organic cacao beans, organic dates, and organic cacao butter. Deep Dark Drinking Chocolate was my favorite find of the show – it’s a lush, plush European-style drinking chocolate, so it’s a serious upgrade from that Swiss Miss of your childhood, and this is so rich you don’t even need marshmallows. It’s made with ethically-sourced premium dark chocolate and sweetened with sugar. For every bag purchased, a child in Ghana receives food and education for a day, which makes my indulgent experience of enjoying this new product all the sweeter.
Fabulously Fermented
As consumer awareness and understanding of the value of fermented foods grows, brands are looking for ways to make food more functional with fermentation. You’ll want to be on the lookout for fermented nuts from Gut Nuts, pickled veggies like the jicama from Brine Time, Fermenteria’s water kefir, Pick Up The Beet’s fermented beet tonic, raw Hot Honey Wine Vinegar from American Vinegar Works, and more. Brands know that probiotics are beneficial bacteria and yeasts that, when consumed, can improve or restore the balance of microorganisms in your gut—supporting digestion, boosting immunity, and helping your body thrive naturally.
Ancient and Heirloom Grains
Americans are growing in their understanding of the shortcomings of modern grains and are increasingly embracing ancient and heirloom grains, and Colorado is at the forefront of the healthy grains movement.
One of the exhibitors was Dry Storage, an artisan mill and bakery in Boulder, CO whose mission is to bolster grains that are more nutritional, flavorful, and supportive of farming communities. They believe their grains are an antidote to the modern industrialized food system, and they view grain as a medium for change. Organic agriculture and regenerative practices nourish the soil and combat climate change. By buying directly from farmers and investing in the supply chain, Dry Storage seeks to restore rural economies and strengthen local foodsheds – and that’s worth celebrating. Their single varietals include Elbon Rye, Winter Langin, Rouge de Bordeaux, White Sonora, and several others.
At Newtopia Now, Roaring Fork Mill launched seven Regenerative Organic-certified flours and a finished shortbread cookie made with regenerative organic ingredients. Roaring Fork is a family-run stone mill operation that supplies restaurants, bakeries, and retail stores and produces a line of packaged flours and a pancake mix. I appreciate that owner Jacob Trumbull said, “We’re helping people rediscover that heritage grains are digestible, nutrient-dense, and better for the planet and the body.”
Roaring Fork Mill is part of The Colorado Grain Chain, an organization that also includes Moxie Bread Co, Dry Storage (both bakeries and micromills), Pueblo Seed and Company, and Blue Grouse Bread.
Local darlings Dry Land Distillers created the nation’s first 100% Straight Rye Whiskey using fully Regenerative Organic Certified Colorado rye from Jones Farms Organics. They’re championing regenerative and water-efficient rye in Colorado’s ecosystem – and, hey, it’s fun to support ROC with a rocks glass!
Speaking of rye, Boulder-based pasta company Pastificio is working with the Rye Resurgence Project, incorporating Jones Farms Organics’ Ryman Rye into their campanelle.
Spotlight on Veggies
Vegetables are an emerging focus for sauces and snacks. On the show floor, we saw several great vegetable soup brands, both freeze-dried, like Long Weekend, and ready-to-eat, in pouches, like I Eat My Greens… stuffed veggie tots from Tots On The Street… a carrot-based pasta sauce, Carinara, as an alternative to traditional tomato sauce… and even a liquid salad in a pouch, from Liquid+! Many of these new veggie-based pouch products will appeal t0 athletes and anyone who’s tired of the sweet energy bars and would prefer a more savory option on-the-go.
Reinvented Classics
Nostalgia is trending and brands are reinventing your favorite classics, updated with today’s ingredients and fun branding, including bright colors, playful illustrations, and funky fonts. Nowhere Bakery’s The Chocolate Chip Cookie is free of dairy, gluten, and refined sugar but still tastes wonderfully indulgent. On the other hand, if you don’t mind turning on your oven, Kittylamb’s Fudgy Brownie mix is the same combo of ingredients you’d mix together, if only you had the time, as you dive in to bake scrumptious brownies at home. You know what pairs well with baked goods? Jubilee’s flavored milks, which sneak hidden veggies in a high-protein beverage. Pork King Good Chicken Puggets are a creative spin on that childhood classic, swapping out a gluten-filled breading for crushed pork rinds, atop chicken nuggets. And when you’re ready for a salty, crunchy snack, Chasin’ Dreams Farm has upgraded the cheese puff with whole grain sorghum, whole grain brown rice, and avocado oil.
What’s Next?
My prediction is that the next big trend will be vital fiber to aid digestion, ease bloating, and tap into better gut health.
Good Dirt sampled prebiotic mushroom sodas containing ten grams of fiber. Brightside Organics’ Natura Fiber is a blend of organic whole food ingredients for digestive health and appetite control – just add a spoonful to your morning smoothie to enjoy the benefits. NEWATER is a fiber-infused prebiotic water in cans.
Will this prediction prove true? We’ll be investigating on the show floor at New Hope Network’s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, March 3-6, 2026.
The natural products industry gets more exciting (and a little more crowded!) every day! As a marketing and PR agency for the natural products industry, watching, understanding, and predicting trends is a huge part of what we do. Contact us if you’d like to discuss your marketing needs and how our natural products trends experts can help you stand out with PR and social media.
Photos by natural products industry expert Julie Zagars and ROOT Founder Kuvy Ax
