As you may know, I spent the weekend at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), the annual national meeting for Registered Dietitians and nutrition professionals. FNCE draws over 10,000 attendees each year and offers a full schedule of educational sessions plus a large expo hall where companies and organizations showcase products and resources. This year the conference was held in Atlanta.
I attended FNCE as media this year, which waived my registration fee (media access requires assignment or a well-established blog). That status gave me access to the press room and media briefings, which was helpful for covering sessions and meeting contacts.
Beyond press registration, I was fortunate to attend on behalf of the California Strawberry Commission as part of an ongoing ambassadorship. They generously covered my hotel and travel expenses—huge thanks to them. I’m a big strawberry fan and loved spending time in the California produce area of the expo.
One of the highlights of the expo is the food sampling. I gravitated toward the natural and organic section and the California produce area. The California Strawberry Commission hosted a strawberry toppings bar that was perfect for an afternoon snack—I enjoyed plain strawberries and combinations with goat cheese or mascarpone. The sweet-and-savory pairings were excellent.
I sampled several new snacks at the expo: Larabar’s Renola was a favorite, and KIND introduced savory bars—I tried the BBQ flavor and enjoyed it. It’s refreshing to see more savory snack options in a market dominated by sweet bars. I also visited Nourish Snacks, whose cinnamon apple-and-almond mix remains a top pick; they now offer a variety of roasted chickpea and dried fruit snacks. I enjoyed meeting Joy Bauer, the brand’s creator—she was very friendly.
Other expo favorites included Organic Valley, the Wild Blueberry Association, the Hass Avocado Board, the Almond Board of California, Canadian Lentils, and Wyman’s of Maine—organizations focused on whole, real food that I enjoy learning from and supporting.
One of the best parts of FNCE is bumping into friends. I loved catching up with The Nutrition Twins and getting to spend time with my virtual intern and future RD, Jackie, who’s been working with me for over a year. We were happy to sample Georgia peaches while we walked the expo.
I also reconnected with grad school friends Elle, Libby, and Jen; we took a break from sessions on Sunday for lunch and a stroll outdoors—perfect weather and a welcome pause from the busy conference schedule.
In terms of sessions, the most compelling one I attended was “Identifying Dietary Migraine Triggers & Integrative Treatments,” presented by Margaret Slavin, PhD, RD and Jan Patenaude, RD, CLT. They discussed inflammation’s role in migraines and highlighted contributors such as food allergies, autoimmune disease, and food sensitivities. They emphasized that food sensitivities differ from intolerances and can affect a substantial portion of the population.
The presenters recommended testing options for identifying sensitivities, noting the MRT (mediator release test) paired with the LEAP elimination diet. They reported that some clients see improvement within days after eliminating triggering foods. Common problematic ingredients include many additives found in processed foods—HVP, “natural flavor,” gelatin, MSG, autolyzed yeast, maltodextrin, citric acid, whey and soy proteins, carrageenan, tannins, aspartame, dyes, and sulfites. Determining a trigger can require trial and error; for example, wine might trigger migraines due to tannins, sulfites, alcohol, or other compounds rather than the wine itself.
This underscores why minimizing highly processed foods can be beneficial. The presenters shared an example of a client who experienced a migraine after eating a seemingly simple grilled chicken sandwich—only to discover the long list of added ingredients that could have been the culprit.
I’m not an expert on migraines or food sensitivities, but the session sparked my interest in learning more about this area.
On the fitness front, I made sure to fit in early-morning hotel workouts with my friend Elle both days. We used the Nike Training Club app one morning and an app called Hot5 the next, which offers multiple five-minute workouts you can combine. Early workouts after late evenings are tough, but they left me energized and ready for the day.
For meals, I enjoyed two standout dinners. On Saturday night the California Strawberry Commission hosted dinner at Canoe. The restaurant was beautiful, service was excellent, and the menu included a variety of shared appetizers. My main was salmon with spaghetti squash and sautéed spinach—a delightful combination—and dessert was a poached pear.
On Sunday evening I attended a Hass Avocado Board dinner at White Oak Kitchen. We learned about research showing that including avocado in a meal can boost absorption of fat-soluble provitamin A from foods such as carrots and tomatoes. The menu featured a snow crab claw salad with fennel and grapefruit, and my main was a generous portion of grouper with wood-grilled carrots, kale pesto, and avocado mousse. Dessert was an unforgettable avocado panna cotta with candied grapefruit peel and herbed tupelo honey.
Overall, FNCE 2014 was a busy and rewarding few days—full of networking, learning, and delicious food. Many thanks to the California Strawberry Commission and the Hass Avocado Board for hosting memorable events. I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference.