2019 Snacking Industry Trends

Most Americans snack throughout the day. In fact, many are replacing sit-down meals with on-the-go snacks, too busy to pause and cook an actual meal. More than half of consumers snack at least twice a day, and that’s continuing to trend upward. But most people aren’t snacking mindlessly. With so many options to choose from, many are making their selections based on health and wellness, sustainability, convenience, and flavor. The truth is that manufacturers have to appeal to people who are fit and health-conscious, aspiring worldly foodies, and busy shoppers pressed for time. Here are the snacking industry trends for 2019.

Private label snacks

Major brands are being given a run for their money now that private-label snacks have emerged in convenience store chains. Suddenly we’re seeing private-label bakery items, gummy candies, muffins, donuts, and pies. People are less loyal to the big, established brands and are buying their snacks from smaller, lesser-known options.

Anti-sugar to anti-added sugar

It turns out that not all sugars are created equal. Sugars that are found naturally in fruits and vegetables are fine, but those that are added during manufacturing, like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, barley malt, and cane sugar are not. So consumers are avoiding those added sugars and looking for naturally occurring sugars, like those found in dried fruits.

Protein alternatives

Plant proteins, soy, and meat- and dairy-free proteins are becoming increasingly popular, due to both health and environmental sustainability concerns. So more and more manufacturers are turning to nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and algae as protein sources to pack into snack bars, chips, meat-free burgers, and dairy-free yogurts and cheeses.

Transparency

Consumers are looking for whole foods with as few added ingredients and little processing as possible. They want clear, specific details on the nutrition label, ingredient list, and marketing claims. Clear packaging is even better, so customers can see exactly what they’re about to eat and re-sealable packaging is even better as snackers can wrap it up and save the rest for later. And since environmental sustainability is important for many consumers, expect compostable or recycled packaging materials to be a priority.

Exotic Flavors

Spicy, bold flavors are as popular as ever! Whether it’s flavor inspired from regions across the country, like Nashville hot chicken, Chesapeake Bay spice, hot Cajun, Louisiana Lightnin’, or Kansas City BBQ, or more ethnic flavors hailing from the Mediterranean, northern Africa, Asia, or Latin American countries, people love to explore new seasonings as a way of treating their taste buds and learning about new cultures.

Do You Want To Stay Ahead of Trends?

If you want to stay in front of snacking trends in 2019 and beyond, Mister Snacks has solutions that will help you meet the changing tastes of your customers. We offer a variety of high-margin, healthy snacks to help you satisfy your unique market demands. Contact us today to learn more about the ways in which we can help you meet and exceed your snack food sales goals this year.