In today’s on-the-go consumer lifestyles, snack foods are enjoying a revolution, and now they’re younger and healthier than ever before.
A Food Processing article this week says Technomic’s latest Consumer Trends Report shows over half of consumers snack between meals. Snacking is also a more constant activity, one that is slowly replacing traditional meal times.
In addition to younger consumers driving snack trends, a movement toward savory, satisfying, and nutrient-rich snacks is evident in this latest data.
Corroborating Neilsen findings from 2014, snackers are going for more basic, whole-foods-based options, like popcorn, pretzels, veggie chips, and granola bars. Protein snacks are also surging in popularity. Mintel in 2015 reported a $1.3 billion protein-snack industry and a rise in U.S. jerky sales of 12.5 percent.
Predictions based on this latest report from Sally Lyons Wyatt of IRI Worldwide include growth in kids’ snack markets and product varieties, a focus on wellness and clean ingredients, and a shift in purchase channels, partly due to e-commerce gains.
Source: Food Processing. There’s No Bad Time for Snack Foods.
