CHICAGO -- Whether salty, savory or sweet or high, low or no calories, consumers are looking for snacks that have a perceived health benefit. Protein, natural and no or less sugar are the health attributes that consumers are most looking for when they eat a snack, which now may be in-between meals, at meals or as a meal, The NPD Group’s food consumption research revealed.
This move towards snacking with a health benefit is being driven by the youngest generations—generation Z, ages 0 to 23, millennials, ages 24 to 37, and generation X, ages 38 to 48, which together amount to the bulk of the population.
Their positive attitudes about snacking, desire to eat more healthfully and need for convenience are among the reasons for the growth in snacks with a perceived health benefit. Boomers, a large number of whom have health conditions, tend to watch for sodium and sugar content in snacks.
The three mega-snack categories are better-for-you, savory and sweet. Consumption of better-for-you snack foods, like fresh fruit, breakfast/sports bars and yogurt, is up 14% since 2006, and it is forecast to grow the fastest out of the three snack categories, according to NPD’s The Future of Eating: Who’s Eating What in 2018? report. Savory snacks, which includes salty snacks and dips, increased consumption by 4% since 2006 and is also forecast to grow. Consumers have lost their sweet tooth when it comes to snacking, but with more sweet snacks offering health benefits, the forecast shows consumption to stabilize over the next few years.
“Snacking today is a prevalent behavior and there is an opportunity in every snack category for manufacturers to call out the specific health benefits—from desirable ingredients to clean labeling,” said Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst. “There is also a generational slant to take into account for each category when positioning and marketing snack foods.”
The NPD Group, Chicago, provides market information and business solutions in the apparel, appliance, automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, diamond, e-commerce, entertainment, fashion accessory, food consumption, foodservice, footwear, home, mobile, office supply, retail, sports, technology, toy, video game and watches and jewelry sectors.
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