More than 56,000 gathered for this 31st fest, with an increased visibility on non-GMO foods and eco-packaging. With aisle after aisle of vendors from Nature's Path to Earth Balance, from omega-rich supplements to "pure" and "smart" items, it's clear the message was healthy and environmental. Compared to two years ago, it was hard to find a plastic bottled water booth, through other drinks overflowed from teas to brain tonics, digestive beverages to chillout elixirs.

It's a far cry from the "Birkenstock crowd," said someone who's attended the show for years. Kamut, introduced here 25 years ago, is now in dozens of products from cereal to pasta, and pastas are made with kelp and kale. If last year's Natural Products Expo displayed an endless array of snacks, from baked sweet potato crisps to popped fruit chips, this year an overriding theme was beverages with benefits.