According to a global study, 88% of adults surveyed snacked more (46%) or at the same level (42%) than before during the pandemic. Millennials (70%) and those who now work from home (67%) are "particularly likely" to say they prefer snacks to meals (Mondelēz, State of Snacking: 2020 Global Consumer Trends Study, November 2020 ).
A “majority” of those surveyed assume that this trend will continue. They plan to eat small snacks throughout the day as opposed to less large meals (64%) and that snacking will be part of their "new normal" even after the year ends (58%). Ultimately, 65% of respondents believe that "the current pandemic will have a long-term impact on how we as a society consume snacks".
The co-founder and managing director of the VGood Company, Sally Breden, agrees with this assessment and tells Retail World: "More and more consumers are replacing traditional meals with faster bites and are consuming salty snacks at lunchtime, at dinner and even at breakfast."
Similarly, New World Foods National Account Manager Shane Merriman says that busy lifestyles have led people to replace meals with snacks and include items in their diets that were not previously referred to as snacks.
"The number of snack occasions is increasing and the nutritional expectations placed on these snacks are changing the way we think about innovation," he told Retail World.
On the subject of health, the Mondelēz study found that more than half of the adults surveyed worldwide were dependent on snacks during the pandemic (54%) because they believed that snacks were good for their bodies, minds and theirs during these strange times Nourished the soul (64%). A “majority” also adopt more mindful snacking at home, saying that they are more focused on the snacks they eat today (57%) and that they have more control over the portions they consume because they are at home snacking more often (66%).
"Since snacking is no longer just an opportunity between meals, consumers are looking for snacks with increased nutritional value," says Ms. Breden.
“There are many consumers who buy mainstream snacks and are looking for better, nutritious snacks from the mainstream aisles / sections of the supermarket.
"It's no longer just health purists looking for healthy options."
Commenting specifically on the meat snack segment, Shaun Malligan, co-founder of Kooee, says the demand for more protein and savory snack options continues to be a major trend influencing the growth of the snack category.
“Healthy snack options have been in increasing demand over the past year as consumers work more from home. This is reflected in an increase in online demand for these snacks and meal delivery solutions – for example, My Muscle Chef, ”he says.
"With the increasing trend towards the keto diet, there are also more and more consumers looking for high-protein and high-fat meat snacks such as biltong, jerky and twiggy sticks."
For more information on snacks, see the latest issue of Retail World.
