21 Dietitian-Approved Food Products About to Hit Grocery Store Shelves

I recently took close to 60,000 steps in just two and a half days. That's how many strides I needed to cover the floor at Natural Products Expo West, a trade show in Anaheim, California, featuring up-and-coming foods from nearly 3,000 exhibitors. Many food companies emphasized the need for healthy food that also tastes good. But of course, I didn't want to take their word for it; I made sure to taste anything and everything to make sure the promises held true. (You're welcome.) Look out for these favorites of mine on your supermarket shelves soon:

[See: 7 Ways Grocery Shopping Will Change in 2017.]

1. Allergen-Free Options

According to Food Allergy Research & Education, 1 in 13 children in the United States has a food allergy. The eight foods that cause 90 percent of allergies are soy, wheat, eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. Many new foods on the market are made without some or all of these eight foods. Here's a sampling of some I loved:

-- Dairy-free yogurts from Kite Hill are among the company's plant-based alternatives to beloved traditional dairy products. Kite Hill cultures nut milk in order to create a smooth and creamy texture. New yogurt flavors include key lime, pineapple, caramel and vanilla.

-- Bob's Red Mill's egg replacement can be used for pancake, muffin, cake and waffle recipes. It's made from soy flour, wheat gluten and algin (from algae).

-- Organic Coco Aminos by Big Tree Farms is a soy sauce replacement made from coconut blossom nectar, and is free of gluten and soy. It has nearly half the sodium of traditional soy sauce.

-- Sunflower butter by SunButter is perfect for those allergic to soy and nuts. It also comes in single-serve cups to tote to work or pack in a school lunchbox.

-- Mikey's English muffins are a tasty, gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free alternative to traditional English muffins.

-- Patrick's Protein Pancake Mix by Among Friends is a gluten-free, whole-grain mix that contains 14 grams of protein per serving when prepared. The protein comes from pea protein, whole-grain flours and egg products. I'm a longtime fan of the brand that makes gluten-free products taste fantastic so everyone in the house can enjoy the same foods.

2. Pea Protein Power

One of the hottest plant-based ways to increase protein is by using pea protein. Here are several brands that have done so:

-- Cream Cheeze by Daiya is a line of creamy dairy-free cream cheese that comes in plain, chive and onion, and strawberry. One of the main ingredients in this line is pea protein.

-- Pea protein milk by Bolthouse Farms, which contains 10 grams of pea protein, is being released this summer. It will be available in original, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate.

-- Pea protein powder by Bob's Red Mill can up the plant-based protein in shakes and smoothies. However, it's a little pricey: It costs $17.99 per 1-pound bag.

[See: What's Really In Those Meatless Meats?]

3. Pounds of Pulses

2016 was the official " International Year of Pulses" and, with that declaration, food companies developed many pulse-based products. Among my picks:

-- Modern Table Meals created a line of lentil pastas that come on their own or in meal kits. The meal kits come with flavor packets in varieties like pesto, southwest, teriyaki, cheddar broccoli and creamy mushroom so that you can make meals that are ready in 15 minutes or less.

-- Pulse tortilla chips by RW Garcia are a line of flavorful chips made from pulses like black beans, garbanzo beans and lentils. Flavors include lentil and turmeric, hummus and red bell pepper, and black bean and garlic

4. Snacks Galore

We are a snacking nation, and there is no shortage of healthy snacks to suit your cravings whenever they strike. Here are several snacks that were just released:

-- Chef's Cut Real Jerky just released a snack cup (like a hummus cup) with half jerky and half cheddar cheese. It's perfect for when you're on the go or traveling.

-- 4505 Meats just made over pork rinds to make them tastier, healthier and gluten-free. Thanks to kettle cooking, the chicharrones are light and crisp. 4505 Meats also uses all parts of the animal as part of their commitment to sustainable production.

-- Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP released five new flavors, three of which are more indulgent. My favorites include dark chocolately-drizzled sea salt, milk chocolaty peanut butter and caramel.

-- KIND now has the same bars you love, but with 100 calories or less each. The "mini" line has six flavors including dark chocolate nuts and sea salt, caramel almond and sea salt, peanut butter dark chocolate and dark chocolate cherry cashew.

-- Enlightened's roasted broad bean crisps are a line of broad beans that are lightly roasted in sunflower oil, sprinkled with sea salt and seasoned. Flavors include sriracha, wasabi, cocoa dusted and sweet cinnamon. They provide 100 calories and 7 grams of protein per single-serve 1-ounce bag.

5. Nutritious Beverages

-- Honest Sport is the same iced tea flavor you love, but in a sports drink. The drinks are available in lemon, berry and orange flavors. I plan on giving these a try during my next tennis match!

-- LIVE's sparkling drinking vinegars are the latest line of products stemming from the touted health benefits of apple cider vinegar. Although research doesn't back up the health claims of apple cider vinegar, this beverage is rather tasty (I didn't believe it either!). For 15 calories and only 3 grams of sugar per 8 fluid ounces (bottles are 12 fluid ounces), it's definitely worth it.

-- Rebel Kitchen brings coconut milk to the next level with its boxed single-served milks, which are available in chocolate, coffee and chai flavors.

[See Which Type of Milk Is Healthiest?]

6. Frozen Goodies

Frozen desserts are getting a full makeover with these two delicious brands:

-- GoodPop's all-natural frozen pops now has shelf-stable pops with 100-percent juice and no added sugar. These babies will hit markets in the next few months. They come in fruit punch, strawberry lemonade and Concord grape flavors. They're also free of the top eight food allergens.

-- CoolHaus is an awesome Los Angeles-born line of ice cream. The line is an indulgence, made with real California milk, and is unbelievably tasty. Flavors include chocolate molten cake, campfire s'mores, bananas foster, buttered French toast and street cart churro dough.

Editor's note: The author has no affiliations with any of the brands mentioned.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is the owner of Toby Amidor Nutrition and author of the cookbook, "The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day" (Grand Central Publishing 2014). She consults and writes for various organizations, including FoodNetwork.com's "Healthy Eats" blog and "Today's Dietitian" magazine.