The Ambrosia Apples Booth Gets A Bonus Shout-Out for Having the Most Beautiful Display at the 2015 Health and Nutrition Editor Showcase! (All Photos By Gail)

Despite the fierce winter chill, Food Bloggers and Journalists flocked to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square last week for the first Editor Showcase event of the year. Even with the show’s focus on the theme of Health and Nutrition, we were surprised and pleased to see such a variety of fresh foods and produce mixed in with the usual offerings of (albeit delicious) yogurt, chips and gluten-free products that are the staples of most food shows. Here are a few of our favorite products from the show!

Here’s a couple of product that home bakers will rejoice over: King Arthur brand Almond Flour and Coconut Flour. Based in Vermont, King Arthur is America’s oldest flour company and their dedication to innovation in the realm of baking ingredients, recipes, tools and educational opportunities unparalleled.

With the rise in popularity of gluten-free consciousness, these flours are absolutely ideal and they make everything you bake taste like it came from the fanciest bakery in town. We know, because look at the delicious treats they brought to the show:

That chocolate cake you see in the photo above? It was just insane. Be a Baking Superstar and find out more about King Arthur Flour at This Link!

A new product that intrigued us is Appethyl, an all-natural, vegetable-based appetite suppressant that may be just what you are looking for to help you take off that extra 5 pounds you put on over the holidays (raises hand). Made from 100% spinach, Appethyl is patented and clinically tested (very important).

Appethyl increases the body’s feeling of fullness by slowing down its absorption of fat and glucose. The product comes in easy to use, individually wrapped packets, so there is no measuring involved. You can take a few packets with you on the go, to your office to wherever. Just mix the Appethyl powder in with soup, a smoothie, or a drink with your meal, and you have a convenient, safe and effective way to curb cravings. Find out more at This Link!

Over the holidays, I was introduced to Blue Diamond Nut-Thins crackers and fell completely in love with their terrific taste and seductive crispiness. The Almond Nut-Thins taste like delicious popcorn, so good! Just add a bit of cheese or salami and you have the most delicious snack you can imagine. Good enough for company, even!

Blue Diamond is a trusted brand name everyone should be familiar with for their quality almonds and almond products. But did you know that the 105-year old cooperative is owned half the state of California’s almond growers, who produce over 80 percent of the world’s almond supply? Wow! No wonder they know what they’re doing.

At Editor showcase, we not only had a chance to try bold new almond favors – such as Wasabi Soy Sauce and Habanero BBQ – but we also sampled the brand’s tasty non-dairy, almond milk beverage, which is called Almond Breeze. Find out more about Blue Diamond’s exciting line of products at This Link!

Lundberg Family Farms are famous for their sustainable rice farming practices that conserve water resources, build soil integrity and support a healthier ecosystem. And doesn’t it feel good to support a company that makes delicious foods while also taking care of the Earth? Sure it does!

Lundberg has just introduced a line of packaged Whole Grain Quinoa and Rice Side Dishes in a variety of savory flavors. These healthy and convenient sides offer the perfect complement to any homemade meal.

Rice Cake fans should also check out Lundberg’s Thin Stackers, which pack a burst of nutty, whole grain flavor into a rice cake that is compressed for a denser and more satisfying bite than most. At the show, we were invited to add our own toppings from a Rice Cake bar, and I made this little snack, topped with with peanut butter and banana chips, which I call the Elvis Rice Cake! Please also note the rice cake’s square shape, which is awesome.

Luna Bars are a healthy snack bar geared specifically towards the nutritional needs of Women. Luna is the perfect on-the-go-snack; being both nutritious and deliciously decadent!

The Lemon Zest variety was my favorite, with its appealing balance of tartness and sweetness and a creamy/ crunchy texture combination. Luna Bars are gluten free, a good source of protein and are made with 70% organic ingredients, while also offering 3-4 grams of fiber per bar! Find out more about Luna Bars at This Link!

And here we are, circling back with Ambrosia Apples, whose booth enthusiastically embraced the essence of spring by including several varieties of fresh flowers, cheerful product reps dressed in keenly accented, coordinated outfits (not pictured) and lots of these gorgeous, fragrant apples to sample and learn about.

Ambrosia is a relative newcomer on the American-grown apple landscape, after being discovered as a chance seedling in an orchard in British Columbia, Canada. The taste reminded me a bit of a Golden Delicious apple, with creamy flesh and a sweet, honey-like flavor. The flesh is also slow to brown, which makes it ideal for baking. Find out more about this, versatile, tasty, non-GMO fruit at This Link!

Good Natured Selects is introducing two varieties of their new Baked Vegetable Crisps: regular and Ranch (which are lightly dusted with a ranch dressing seasoning). These light and crispy chips have a wonderful vegetable taste with the appealing texture of a Ruffles Ridged Potato Chip — which, you know, makes them good for dipping!

All Good Natured Selects products are gluten-free, made with no artificial ingredients or added preservatives and contain zero grams of fat. But what’s most important is that they taste great!  Find out more about Good Natured Selects Baked Vegetable Crisps and other products at This Link!

When I think of Wonderful Brands, I remember how they managed to license Psy’s ridiculously popular “Gangnam Style” for a commercial about their line of Pistachios, with the tagline “Get Crackin’ ”  — because that was just brilliant. Wonderful Brands also represents a variety of fresh produce, and at  Editor Showcase they were showing off their delicious Sweet Scarlett’s Texas Red Grapefruits as well as their Halos Mandarin Oranges, in addition to a variety of their more popular flavors of pistachios, such as Sweet Chili and, my favorite, Salt and Pepper!

Wonderful Brands is, in fact, the fastest-growing brand in America’s produce aisles and has become a trusted household name for delicious nuts and fruits that not only tastes great but are also a smart, healthy choice for use in recipes for everyday snacking. Get more information about Wonderful Brands at This Link!

You’ve read about the Lifeway Brand Kefir beverages and snacks here on The Gig before, and it is always a pleasure to see what they have to offer in the way of new products. Lifeway Kefir Beverages are a high calcium, high-protein, yogurt-style beverage that tastes great and offers an endless list of health benefits with its 12 life and active probiotics.

These drinks are not too sweet, and are perfect to take on-the-go, or for a satisfying afternoon snack. Their newest variety contains oats as well – which makes it ideal for a quick, convenient breakfast!  Find out more and sign up to receive money saving coupons from Lifeway at This Link!

It was fun to see the National Onion Association team up with U.S. Apples for a shared booth that was all about not only the great taste. versatility and health benefits of each variety of produce, but also provided some fantastic recipes using both products, and samples of some tasty recipes, such as Apple Onion Jam, and other treats combining the flavors of each.

Visit US Apple Dot Org and Onions USA Dot Org to get your hands on some tasty and innovative recipes!

The Skinnygirl Daily brand has expanded far beyond its ambitious Margarita Mix beginnings to now include a line of Tasty Nutrition Bars in decadent flavors like Banana Oatmeal Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Multi-Grain Pretzel and Chocolate Peanut Butter with Sea Salt, each containing only 150 – 170 calories per bar. Skinnygirl Daily is all about living a healthy and balanced lifestyle while allowing yourself to indulge in life’s finer things. Sign up for Skinny Girl’s online newsletter and get 10% off your first purchase at Skinny Girl Daily Dot Com.

Not that anyone needs to advertise to get me to eat eggs — because eggs are awesome — but hey, free Deviled Eggs are always a good thing!  As part of the American Egg Board, the Incredible Edible Egg ^TM offers information to consumers about all things eggs, including recipes, cooking techniques, nutritional benefits and much more. The Egg Nutrition Center, also part of the American Egg Board, serves as a credible source of nutrition and health science information and is the knowledge leader in research and education related to eggs. Egg-citing!

We also enjoyed snacking on these  Deviled Green Eggs and Ham — which were actually more of a turquoise color — topped with bits of bacon. And…

Mexican Deviled Eggs with Chorizo, yummy!

That wraps up this Editor Showcase Recap. Until next time, snack healthy!