Dive Brief:
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Americans’ favorite snacks vary widely from coast to coast, according to a study from General Mills and Box Tops for Education. In the Northeast, granola and protein bars are the most popular (24%). Chips, popcorn, crackers and pretzels are the favorite snack of Southern consumers (30%). In the Midwest and West, veggies and fruits reign supreme (27%).
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During the school year, mothers said they packed fruits and vegetables in their children’s lunch boxes the most (26%) compared to other snacks.
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More than two-thirds of mothers (69%) said they bought more bottled drinks such as water, juice boxes or soda during the summer when their kids are out of school. Coming in close behind bottled drinks, 63% of mothers said they bought more fruits and veggies during the summer.
Dive Insight:
Interest in convenient, portable foods has skyrocketed as consumers navigate hectic schedules. It is no wonder that parents not only rely on the convenience of snacks and bottled drinks for themselves but also for their children, both during the school year and when their kids are home for the summer.
In a survey, many consumers reported they had enjoyed both food and beverage snacks yesterday. Almost all participants — 94% — told researchers they snacked on food the day before and 91% drank a snack beverage. Overall, the survey found consumers consume an average of about 4 to 5 food snacks a day and 3 to 4 beverage snacks.
However, this move toward convenience does not mean that consumers are willing to give up on nutrition. Consumers are increasingly becoming more health-conscious. There has been increased interest from consumers and renewed effort from grocers and manufacturers to provide recognizable, natural ingredients, moving away from artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors.
Aligning with this trend toward healthier foods, sales of fruits and vegetables have been increasing.
Despite the move toward healthier foods, consumers often overestimate the amount of healthy food snacks such as fruit, nuts, yogurt and vegetables that they eat daily. Evident in the favorite snacks of the South, consumers more often reach for salty, crunchy snacks such as chips and pretzels. According to a snacking report from Datassentials, around 48% of consumers eat at least one salty snack per day.
Manufacturers can capitalize on what might be seen as contradictory trends by reformulating salty snack favorites, like chips, to be healthier. This can be accomplished by reducing calories or grams of fat. Appealing both to consumer desire for salty food and trends of health and convenience should only boost snack popularity. This move will also prove tempting to parents looking to provide a nutritional snack for their kids, as well as kids looking for a yummy bite to eat.