Once seen as guilty pleasures, snack foods have and will continue to evolve to be eating occasion solutions for a nation of consumers constantly on-the-go, reports The NPD Group in its recently published “Future of Snacking” report.
Americans consumed nearly 386 billion ready-to-eat snack foods last year, with the vast majority of those eaten between main meals; and snack food growth is happening at most dayparts with more use at meals and as meal replacements.
“Snack foods continue to evolve both as between-meal snacks and as part of main meals,” says David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor. “Each of these snack food roles is changing in different ways in reaction to Americans’ desire for balance, portable snack foods and holistic wellness.”
Future of Snacking delves into what snack food consumption will look like in the future and the opportunities for growth over the next five years. Snack food needs forecast to grow in the near term embody wellness benefits, like snacks with more protein; portability, like single-serve snack foods; and uniqueness and enjoyment, like unique flavor mash-ups. Even indulgent snack foods are staging a comeback by walking a line between health and enjoyment. Low-calorie, high-protein ice cream is an example of a beneficial snack food. Brands that support moderation as a rationale to indulge are also benefiting with offerings like thinner versions of cookies.
The report also found that consumers’ snack food choices aren’t guided strictly by flavor. Emerging attributes consumers are looking for are snacks that encompass uniqueness and sensory elements such as texture, heat and aromatics.
“Snacking is no longer just about eating when you’re bored or eating for additional sustenance,” says Portalatin. “Today and in the future, snacking is about solving small problems for consumers, and those problems present opportunities for food marketers across a variety of dayparts and needs.”
