Today I attended the Go Green Expo, which is New Zealand’s largest sustainable lifestyle show, held at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland. The show covers everything related to organics, eco home and living, beauty, health and wellness, and of course, your chance to try delicious healthy food and beverage products. I have been going for the last few years and it is always a fun day out!

This year also saw the new addition of the Better Food Fair with stalls selling street food and drinks from organic, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and raw vendors. I tried dishes from Judge Bao, House of Dumplings, Soul Boul and Nitro Cow.

Along with sampling food related products and trying yummy dishes, the Go Green Expo and Better Food Fair are also holding seminars and workshops. Workshops and seminars that sound interesting on Sunday are the Plant-Based Everyday Workshop with Buffy Ellen of Be Good Organics (tickets here, includes a 90 minute workshop, goodie bags and three recipe demonstrations), La Boca Loca – ‘Making free tortillas at home’ seminar (included in your ticket) and Wise Boys Burgers – ‘The Plant-Based Burger Revolution taking off in NZ’ seminar (included in your ticket). For more information and times, check out Sunday’s schedule here.

Below, I round up my favourite products and dishes that I came across/tried at the Go Green Expo and Better Food Fair. If you have any questions about the products or dishes, feel free to ask! If you are heading to the show tomorrow, have a great time!

Go Green Expo
Favourite products

Almighty Juices – organic juices, with flavours such as guava, lime and basil, carrot, orange and turmeric, and beetroot, blackcurrant and ginger. Show special: $5 per juice. 

Angel Food – delicious dairy free and vegan products, including a new dairy free and vegan cheddar alternative. Show specials: Cheddar $10, Mozarella $10, Sauce mix $11 and Parmesan $6.

Be Natural – they make one of my favourite cereals (Coco-nutty Cereal Coconut Spelt & Fig). Unfortunately, they weren’t selling any of their cereals or nut bars, but they did give out generous tasting serves!

Crawlers – New Zealand’s first sustainable brand selling edible insects! We tried CRICKETS with spicy peri peri seasoning. Not unpleasant to eat, just very weird!

The Baron – East Bali Cashews. Love the cacao covered cashews! Show special: $5 per bag of cashews.

Good Magazine – love this magazine. It is about living simply and living well, covering the topics of home, style, food, craft, garden, health and beauty. Show special: $38 for 6 issues or $75 for 12 issues (both options include current issue + awesome goodie bag).

Pakaraka Permaculture – certified organic microgreens, vegetables and chestnuts from a farm in the Kauaeranga Valley Thames. We loved their carrots, beets and microgreens. All the veges were well displayed too! (Show special: $5 for a bunch of carrots, $4 for a bunch of beets and lovely chestnuts!)

Some other food related products at the Go Green Expo include: 

• Be Nourished – organic raw sauerkraut and kimchi
• Ted’s Avos – gourmet avocado on toast pop-up
• Storm & India Tea Sisters – organic hot and iced tea

• Nu Food Organic – organic almond butter batch roasted in Wellington

• Pacific Harvest – edible seaweed!

• Pure Coco – raw, organic coconut and cacao products

• Snack Pack – amazeballs

• Natural Things – an online store selling certified organic, vegan and healthy products
• Good Buzz Kombucha – 6 different flavours, including traditional, lemon ginger, feijoa, jasmine, green tea and coffee
• Cocowow – light, refreshing and silky smooth coconut yoghurt

Better Food Fair
Favourite dishes

Judge Bao – owners, Debbie and Jamie, serve the best bao in Auckland (check out my review here). I am a huge fan of their ‘Sloppy Po’ with Mapo Tofu, Asian mushrooms, spring onion, coriander and chilli mayo. I’m not strict vegetarian, but this bao is seriously good. Judge Bao are also serving salads – Mung Bean Slaw, Tomato Salad and Xi’an Spice Roast Pumpkin Salad. ($8.00 for Sloppy Po Bao and $6 for salads). 

House of Dumplings – my favourite dumpling brand in New Zealand! All of their dumplings are handmade and taste heavenly. My favourites are the Spinach & Tofu, Korean Sesame Beef Sprouts and Nepalese Spiced Lamb. Don’t forget to try the amazing Mum’s Sauce and Chilli Oil! (Dumplings are $2.00 each).

Nitro Cow – made-to-order gelato and sorbet using liquid nitrogen. I was so excited to see Nitro Cow at the Better Food Fair as have been wanting to try their gelato for ages. Loved their chocolate and coconut combination, topped with coconut chips. ($8 for gelato). 

Soul Boul – NZ’s first mobile smoothie bowl food truck, serving smoothie bouls, healthy Buddha bouls, organic coffee and superfood lattes. Their Mexican Buddha boul looked EPIC (so wish I could have fitted it in!), but instead I tried their Acai Bowl which was lovely! Soul Boul are based in Raglan, but I hope they come up to Auckland again real soon! ($8.00 for small Acai bowl). 

Other food stalls at the Better Food Fair include: 

• The Raw Kitchen – a popular Auckland store selling raw breakfast cups, salads and wraps, snacks, sweet treats, nut mylks and retail products
• Wise Boys Burgers – delicious burgers that are plant-based, and free from animal products
• Wander Eco Cafe – a health food truck and smoothie bar, serving organic coffee, organic acai bowls, smoothies, kombucha tonics, raw slices and salad bowls
• The Rolling Pin – steamed dumplings serve with Asian slaw
• Double Dutch Fries – hand-cut fries topped with creamy mayonnaise, tangy satay sauce and finely chopped onions (all fries are gluten free and vegan sauces are available)
• Storm & India Tea Sisters – organic hold and iced tea
• Organic Mechanic – kombucha and healthy smoothies
• Raw Balance – a raw food deli and health shop based in Taupo, selling their famous raw falafel wraps, raw sweet treats, smoothies and hot drinks
• Las Masitas – Mexican street food with a twist!
• RAWE Organic Smoothies – plant based organic smoothies
• Lalele Organic – organic gelato made from Trade Aid coconut milk. My favourite is their feijoa sorbet, drizzled with chocolate!
• Mama Tahina – fresh, delicious Mediterranean street food
• Hungry for Raw – a fundraising project for Go Vegan charity, serving fresh and nourishing food

Go Green Expo and Better Food Fair
Details: On tomorrow, Sunday 2 April 2017 and will run from 10am to 5pm.
Address: ASB Showgrounds, 217 Greenlane West, Epsom
Tickets are $8 online (no booking fee) or $10 at the door
Parking: $5 if parking in ASB Showgrounds

Disclosure: I purchased my own tickets to the Go Green Expo and Better Food Fair and received no compensation for writing this post. One of my favourite hobbies is attending food related events, so I am just genuinely spreading the word on this awesome show 🙂