Planted Expo is coming to Toronto for the first time ever this spring, and bringing with it all of the delicious eats, enlightening talks, and specialty items that it's known for elsewhere in Canada.

After becoming wildly successful in Vancouver — where it attracts more than 10,000 attendees each year — Planted has decided to extend its roots to the 6ix, taking over the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place for one beautiful spring weekend on April 29-30.

While the event is sure to be appealing to vegans and vegetarians, it's also perfect for anyone who is remotely health-conscious or eco-conscious. If you're curious about plant-based lifestyles and products, care about animals, or you're just looking for some delicious new snacks and awesome new brands to try out, you'll find a bunch of things to do at Planted Expo Toronto.

You'll find hundreds of local and international vendors with food, fashion, home goods and more on offer, ready to chat about their products.

Before you head down in April, we've rounded up a few of the essentials set to take over the massive hall this spring.

The scrumptious food, to stay or to go

Think the famed food of the CNE, but much healthier for you, and better for animals and the planet, too⁠. There will be dozens of stalls at the expo where visitors can grab food and eat on-site, or pick up snacks to take home.

Indulge guilt-free in a burger, salad, vegan chickee tendies, shakes and more from Bring Me Some; soup, pizza, salads and desserts from Fierce Friends Food; or some modern plant-based twists on Canadian Punjabi cuisine from Rick's Good Eats.

For stocking up your fridge and pantry, there are almost too many options, including local brand Situ's Kitchen, B.C.'s Komo Comfort Foods and Ahimsa Vegan Foods—all known for their easy-to-prepare frozen plant-based meals. Find Vegan Rob's for healthy and delicious cheese puff alternatives, chips and other goodies; and Vegan Touch, which makes the most unbelievable vegan cheeses, sauces and more.

When it comes to plant-based cheese and proteins, you'll have your pick between Fresh Start, Bel, Nuts for Cheese, Living Tree, Yumasoy, Very Good Butchers and others; and for sweets, Ohh Foods, Hippie Snacks, Vegn Haus, GoGo Quinoa and many more.

There is also Snö Dairy Free, purveyors of the ultimate plant-based and gluten-free ice cream — their famed frozen sandwiches and bars are a dessert essential. And for everyday snacking on the go, Healthy Hippo's naturally delicious, better-for-you candy sweetened with monk fruit is a must to stock up on, with loads of flavours and types to choose from.

An added perk is that many of these brands are allergen-friendly, in more ways than one!

The health and wellness products

In line with healthy eats, many companies will be showcasing vitamins, supplements, and other health and wellness products at Planted Expo Toronto.

Pick up a coffee, non-alcoholic cocktail, kombucha, matcha or tea, and sip while you browse. You can also explore superfoods and supplements from Herbaland — known for their sustainable and restorative line of sugar-free gummy vitamins in compostable packaging — among others, or nutritional bars from companies like YoFiit, Camino and Thunderbird Bars.

And, ready to dispel the myth that it's hard to get enough protein in plant-based diets is PERFECT SPORTS, the brand behind Canada's top protein powder made right here in the GTA. Their plant-based protein powder DIESEL Vegan comes in flavours like Chocolate Ice Dream, Vanilla Ice Dream and Very Berry Blast. (Check out their full lineup of sports nutrition and general health products here.)

The shopping

As much as delectable plant-based treats are a highlight of the show, you'll also want to stop by the other booths to shop for all types of non-food items that are created with the earth in mind.

Choose from a variety of sustainable and low-waste home goods and slow-fashion clothing items and decor, then check out all-natural, good-for-you beauty products from brands like Tranquility Matters, Giddy Yo and Birch Babe. You might even decide on a new Vitamix blender to take home.

The learning opportunities

The one thing that Planted vendors have in common is that they are passionate — about health, the planet, and the benefits of plant-based lifestyle choices.

Beyond the informative conversations and live demonstrations at every booth, there will be speakers like plant-based social media star Carleigh Bodrug of PlantYou; "The Badass" vegan John Lewis; Dr. Gregor, author of How Not to Die and Jake Karls, and co-founder of Midday Squares and member of Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for 2023.

Guests will also have a chance to preview Planted Learn, which offers online courses about how to become more plant-based and sustainable in your day-to-day life, from shopping and meal prep to nutrition and navigating social situations.

And, sanctuaries like the Pearly Acre pig rescue and Carroll's Animal Sanctuary and Rescue will be present to educate, as well as organizations like Eat Impact, which aims to help people save money and fight food waste through its app.

With so many opportunities to learn and so much to try, Planted Expo is the place to be for anyone interested in levelling up their lifestyle to something more plant-focused.

All of the brands in attendance are ones that you can feel good about supporting, whether they feature products that are good for you (organic, whole, healthy), good for the animals (plant-based), good for the world (fair trade, plastic-free, environmentally conscious and sustainable), or all of the above!

Head to the website to learn more about the first-ever Planted Expo Toronto 2023, browse vendors and buy tickets.