Snacks are continuing to gained prominence over the years as a premier spot in consumers’ lives.
Six out of 10 consumers said they prefer multiple meals throughout the day to three larger ones, according to Mondelēz’s most recent State of Snacking report.
From identifying a new trend known as “snackification” — opting for larger, protein-rich snacks instead of meals — to the rise in indulgences, Circana’s Eating Patterns in America research dives deeper into the snacking trends that shaped foodservice and retail in 2024.
An increase in indulgence
The pandemic left consumers uncertain and stressed about the future, leading them to reach for treats throughout the day to ease their emotions. Research indicated that consumers are still opting for these comforting foods such as potato chips, cookies and ice cream.
Brands have responded by reimagining their core offerings to make them more snackable and playful, the Mondelēz report said.
Doritos, Cheetos, and Sunchips debuted miniaturized versions of their products in order to give consumers more variety.
Although the data from the report revealed that the popularity of healthier snacks such as fresh fruits have declined, as their prices were more affected by inflation, companies have found ways to integrate the desired better-for-you ingredients into their indulgent offerings.
Clean labels are increasingly influencing consumer purchasing decisions, and companies are responding by putting an emphasis on “clean-label” and “better-for-you” ingredients in order to appeal to the changing consumer.
Price, however, still remained consumers’ top concern and priority in terms of picking foods to snack on, the report said.
Snackification
Although augmenting a meal with a snack item isn’t new — chips with a sandwich, for example, has always been a lunchbox staple — more and more consumers are actually replacing meals with snack items.
Companies have been capitalizing on this by pushing protein-rich snacks. Chomps took the spot for the fastest growing snack brand in the U.S., according to data from Numerator. The meat stick maker touts its high protein content compared to added sugar and calories.
Other large food CPGS introduced protein-rich product lines such as Chobani with its new mega protein yogurt offering. General Mills also introduced Ghost cereal and Kellanova’s Eggo Fully Loaded waffles.
For the year ending in March 2024, SnackTrack shows 37% of main meals contained a snack item compared to 29% in 2010, the report said. And nearly all generations consume more snacks at breakfast than they did in the past.
The Mondelēz report pointed to foods such as fruit, snack cakes and muffins replacing traditional breakfast foods. Additionally, consuming snacks with or instead of a conventional lunch has grown prior to the last decade.
How the generations snack
Gen Xers, who are currently ages 44 to 59, were found to total more in-home snacking than any other generation, representing 21% of the category. The generation is at a pivotal life stage right now, the report said, grappling with becoming empty nesters but whose shopping behaviors are still dictated by younger family members and elderly parents.
Because the shopping habits of Gen X mirror who they shop for, they take a large part of the market as both kids and boomers snack at high rates.
Although millennials are likely to live in households with younger kids, they snack less than their younger and older counterparts.
Millennials accounts for only 15% of in-home snacking. Millennials are also still at a time in their life where they are developing favorites and brand loyalty. “Brands need to engage millennials now and appeal to their desire to stick with hip snack brands,” the report said. This can be done by working with influencers, deploying innovative branding, or experimenting with flavor profiles.
Although the report didn’t include data from Gen Z, recent research conducted by Lifesum found that Gen Z is health-conscious and seeks out functional nutrition to improve their holistic wellness.
Gen Z is also enjoying sweet indulgences, while wanting nutritious options in the category. Although they may reject previous generations’ infatuation with diet culture, this group still sees the value of wellness.
The Circana data found that Gen Alpha, born between the years of 2010 to 2024, is notoriously known for being big snackers. While older kids and teens have more influence over what their parents buy for them, parents of younger kids do more gatekeeping and seek healthier options, the report said.
Companies can capitalize on this by helping parents feel more comfortable with what they buy.
“Brands and retailers will wind up leaving money on the table if they don’t think about ways to engage consumers as they enter different life stages,” the report said.
