Pre-Meal Snacks: Consumers are Looking for Healthy Snacks that Fill Them Up

Snack food sales have risen an average of nearly 3% per year since 2008, a trend that is expected to continue through the end of 2019. A major factor driving this increase is the busy nature of our modern lives, and it is becoming more common to snack as a meal replacement or as a holdover until a later meal time. To cash in on rising snack food sales, stores should be prepared with a variety of snack foods that will keep people feeling fuller, longer.

The Modern Consumer Has Specific Snacking Demands

A whopping 94% of Americans say they snack at least once per day, and 45% say they snack three or more times.  Driving these numbers are Millennials, who eat an average of 3.05 snacks in a day compared to Baby Boomers who eat just 1.5 snacks a day.

Millennials are also much more health-conscious than their older counterparts. They grew up in an America plagued by obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, and they were educated early on the perils of consuming too much fat and sugar. They are far more likely to choose snacks with natural ingredients like nuts and dried fruit, especially early in the day when they may be skipping a traditional breakfast or lunch.

In general, Americans still like their candy, pretzels and potato chips, but they are reaching for healthier snacks on a much wider scale than they were 10 years ago. Because snacks act as either a meal replacement or a holdover, consumers are choosing options with protein and fiber that will fill them up as opposed to simple carbohydrates that provide instant fullness and burst of energy followed by a crash and a hollow stomach.

Convenience Matters

While some people are planners, most people snack on the fly. When out and about, they make a quick stop to tide them over until mealtime. This means it is essential for grocery and c-stores to offer a variety of healthy, filling, pre-packaged single-serve snacks to consume on the go.

Snackers typically have an idea of what they want when it comes to a filling snack, but if something new catches their eye, they want to be able to make a quick judgment about its value and ability to meet their needs. Packaging should always be easy to read and customers should be able to make a quick assessment about what’s inside.

Are You Offering Filling and Convenient Snack Options?

If you want to learn more about the ways in which you can help satisfy the changing snacking tastes of your customers, Mister Snacks can help.  We work closely with our clients to help them choose high-margin, value-priced items to meet the changing tastes of consumers. We work with wholesalers and distributors, convenience stores, retail stores, gift shops, food service companies, brokers and even international businesses looking to grow their bottom line. We look forward to helping you increase your sales and profits. Contact us today!