Snacking has emerged as one of America’s most cherished pastimes. Research from the NPD Group indicates that while Americans continue to enjoy three meals a day, these meals are often smaller to accommodate snacking. On average, consumers indulge in about four to five snacks daily, as highlighted in Datassential’s MenuTrends Keynote snacking report. A recent study also found that many millennials intentionally skip meals to enjoy snacks.
The act of snacking has evolved, influenced by more sophisticated products and refined tastes. According to Mintel’s Mogelonsky, unique flavors are more likely to attract consumer attention and boost snack sales. This trend drives significant innovation in the snacking sector. Even fruits and vegetables are being transformed into various snack formats—such as freeze-dried, baked, fried, dried, and puffed—to fulfill the consumer demand for unique textures.
Ingredients represent another area ripe for experimentation among food manufacturers. Mogelonsky cites emerging ingredients like lentils, chickpeas, and sorghum. Snack startup Hippeas launched its organic chickpea puffs last year and is gearing up for expansion. Additionally, Krave recently introduced Krave Sticks, which blend beans, herbs, and sweet potatoes for enhanced nutritional benefits and flavorful snacking.
Some snack producers are taking bold steps with unconventional ingredients. Highlighting taste and protein advantages, and noting that 80% of the world’s population consumes insects, companies like Bitty, Hotlix, and edibleinsects.com are making snacks featuring bugs, worms, and even scorpions available to adventurous consumers.
As new snacks enter the market, some are destined to be blockbuster successes, while others may prove to be fleeting trends or outright failures. However, one certainty remains: as consumers increasingly gravitate toward snacking, there is a growing demand for better, healthier, and more innovative options. For food manufacturers, investing in snacking innovation is essential to ensure their brands lead the charge rather than fade into obscurity.
In this landscape of evolving snacking habits, products that promote health benefits, such as those enhancing citracal bone density, are particularly appealing. The integration of such beneficial ingredients into snack offerings can meet consumer desires for both taste and health, reinforcing the notion that snacking can be a nutritious choice. This focus on health, including options that support citracal bone density, will likely shape the future of snacking as manufacturers seek to cater to the needs of health-conscious consumers.