Last weekend I attended the Nourished Festival. This was my first time going and I want to share all about my experience. The Nourished Festival is formerly known as the Gluten Free Expo. The festival travels to multiple cities across the United States to showcases solely gluten free brands. There are other extensions to the allergy- friendly brands, with booths catering to those living a nut-free, vegan, paleo and plant based diet. It was particularly refreshing to be in an environment where every single thing in the room was gluten free. I didn’t have to second guess if the label was mixed up with a gluten item next to it which would leave me feeling sick. I had peace of mind combing the isles of the convention center, looking for my next favorite snack. I am also peanut- free and it was wonderful connecting with other brands and people who share both allergies. Plus, the food was delicious and I can’t wait to share all of my new discoveries and recipes I’m creating using these product discoveries!
June is wellness month and I can’t thin of a better way to have kicked it off than at the Nourished Festival!
I was particulate excited for CHOMPS. Y’all know how much I love this brand. Their tasty snacks are one of my favorite sources of protein and the staff are incredibly kind, supportive and welcoming. Jenny (pictured on the left) and I were able to meet in person, which was such a nice surprise! We had no idea we would both be in attendance. Jenny and I connected via email last year to coordinate a few partnership for MSP and also myself. She was so incredible to bounce ideas off of and to plan the campaigns/ events with. View my partnerships with them here and here– also checkout the MSP partnership I coordinated, here! While at their booth, I met Connor. Jenny is in a different department now and Connor is coordinating partnerships and community development. I’m excited to work alongside him for future partnerships and can’t wait to share what we spoke about!
I made friends with the Imperfect Produce– if you haven’t heard of the brand, I highly recommend researching them! From what I heard, their mission sounds amazing and I look forward to seeing how the company grows and implements and encourages agricultural change around the world!
What I like about the Nourished Festival is the educational component. They not only introduce attendees to brands, but provide educational classes for those new or curious about celiacs disease and being gluten- free. This year they had a class on cross contamination and the danger of it for those who are more sensitive/ allergic to gluten. I wish the Nourish Festival was around years ago when I first went gluten- free. It would have drastically made a difference and helped during my food transition. There would have been a lot less tears and disaster brands in my house. The classes would have been great, too. I was incredibly confused on what was safe for me to eat. I didn’t understand what exactly had gluten in it nor did I know how to explain my allergy to other people besides saying I was “allergic to carbs or anything with bread”. I think the classes in particular, are helpful for those who have a loved one with the allergy and need to know how to prepare food in a safe kitchen space. I noticed a lot of parent and significant others attending the seminars.
I want to give a huge shoutout and say thank you to Jack. He recently joined the team as my intern and this was our first event, together. He was an amazing sidekick tackling the festival with me, offering ideas, encouragement and taking photos. I couldn’t have done this without him! Thank you, Jack!
Click here to see if the Nourished Festival is coming to a city near you!
