Load Up On Delicious At The Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo

I received free admission to the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo as a press blogger. All opinions are my own.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo here in Denver. While my family and I are not gluten free ourselves, it is something we are leaning more and more towards as we find a way to combat Zoey’s eczema. Not only was I excited to attend the expo to explore options for my own family, but to find options for all of you especially ones that are easy to take on the go and quick to make for those busy nights.

As one of the event bloggers, we enjoyed a breakfast by BFree, a gluten free bread company. One complaint I have heard about gluten free breads is that they can be really gummy, but the BFree bagel I had (toasted with butter) tasted like a normal bagel! I was very happily surprised. I snagged some sweet potato wraps to use in my work lunches this week, which I will share on Instagram.

Throughout my conversations with vendors during the expo, I could not help but notice two things. First, how happy and friendly all the vendors were to be sharing their products. Every single vendor I spoke with, or even just took a sample from, were smiling, energetic, and more than willing to answer my questions about their product. While I know these vendors work for the companies, when I asked questions like, “Does the quinoa pasta fall apart?”, “How many added sugars are in this gluten free bar?”, or “If it is not dairy in the ‘cheese’ than what is it”? their eyes would light up with excitement as they told me all about their product and loaded me with a few samples to take home to try.

It was also both heartwarming and fun to see so many family owned businesses represented at the expo. There is something about about the family who created and owns their product talking to you about it that just exudes extra love and joy. You cannot help but want to be a customer and cheer them on in there business ventures. It also helps that all the family owned business foods I tried were incredibly delicious.

The second thing I noticed was how happy and excited all the participants were to be in a place of gluten free abundance. As one fellow blogger put it with a huge smile of relief, “I do not even have to ask if this is gluten free. I am not used to this!”

In addition to happy bloggers, there were tons of children and families in attendance. Kids and free snacks in little cups and dishes their size is always a recipe for a happy afternoon. It seemed like many parents had brought their children for lunch, which I thought was a great idea!

One of my concerns attending the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo was there would only be gluten free breads and nut free spreads. However, I was very happy to see a good variety of different things in addition to the breads and nut free spreads like healthy meals (tons of quinoa and rice pastas), cereals, on the go bars, and even gluten free beers! The beer tables were very popular, but this pregnant woman had to skip them.

Keep in mind that if you attend a Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo in your city, which you can find here, you will leave feeling very full and with more free samples of things than you know what to do with plus a ton of coupons for the next time you see a specific product in the store. All of the vendors were so incredibly generous with giving their product out to participants. Like I mentioned before, everyone was very welcoming and happy to answer any questions, so ask away about any of your concerns!

A few of the companies at the expo that I really enjoyed were:

BFree – They specialize in gluten free breads, wraps, and rolls. The bagel that I tried tasted completely normal, not gummy at all. You can find them in the bakery section of your local grocery store.

Fuel For Fire – This was an epic find at the expo. These are smoothie pouches for adults that have no added sugars or artificial flavorings. Not only is it perfect for on the go mornings, or an afternoon pick-me-up snack, but it is also a pouch product I can feel good about giving to Zoey. Snacks that both of us can eat are a win in my book.

Path of Life – Ok, these little quinoa-loaded side dishes that are ready in 4 minutes are a serious dinner time saving find. Not only were they tasty, but I could not get over that they were ready in 4 minutes. Talk about a last minute cooking save!

Forno Minas – This company makes those famous Brazilian cheese rolls called Pao de Queijo. This family owned business creates these deliciously cheesy, soft, but crunchy rolls that you can pop into the oven for 5 minutes and pull out as a bread side or appetizer. I was disappointed that I could not eat more while I was standing there.

Deliciousness – This company lives up to its name as it has some serious deliciousness going on. From their gluten free Mozaic chips to their hummus that does not need to be refrigerated until it is opened, there is a lot to love about this company. I thought both their chips and hummus were completely tasty.

Honey Bunchies – Another family owned and operated business, these little bars have a minimal ingredient list and are perfect as a dessert, afternoon pick-me-up, or even as a workout recovery snack. A few of the family members were representing the product at their booth and they just had so much joy and love towards their bars. It was so refreshing to see.

Bob’s Red Mill – I had tried their flax meal in the past, but got to sample their chocolate protein powder. It was flavorful, not chalky, and will definitely making an appearance in my smoothies this week.

Enjoy Life Foods – What is a gluten free and allergen friendly lifestyle if you cannot enjoy a little chocolate here and there? Their dark chocolate hit the spot and their chocolate chip cookies satisfied without the weird after taste.

Garden Lites – This was love at first taste of their blueberry muffin. With ingredients like zucchini and carrot, you are getting in some vegetables while enjoying a sweeter taste. Plus, the muffins are already made and you just have to reheat!

RXBar – Ok, so if you have been following the blog for a while, you know my love of RXBars not only because they are sold at Costco, but because they make a protein rich on the go snack that Zoey, Rob, and I love. What I loved seeing at the expo is they now make kids-friendly flavors with their same, minimal ingredient list in flavors like Berry Blast and Apple Cinnamon Raisin.

Honey Stinger – While this company is not new to me as I have had their waffles, they now make chews. Many endurance athletes I know use Honey Stinger products in place of things like gus and gels during competitions. I was able to sample the chews at the expo and adored their non-stick-to-your-teeth texture, flavor, and simple ingredient list. Much better than the chews I have used in the past.

To check out a Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo coming to your city, you can look at the list here. There are expos coming to Georgia, Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, and California in the next few months.

Which product from above would you most like to try?