The idea of a snack was always associated with “a cheat” instead of being a planned meal, it was always thought of as an indulgence.
However, over recent years nutritionists have been advising clients to eat five or more times a day. Three main meals with planned “snacks” which are really meant to be well rounded but low volume meals – instead of a candy bar or a cookie.
This change in mindset has created a great opportunity for food and beverage makers to innovate.
Consumers have increasingly sought out more mindful snacks that are nutrient dense with whole ingredients and less refined flour and sugar content. What drives people to snack can vary throughout the day however. In the morning nourishment and satiation dominate while in the afternoon consumers often look for a boast in energy or something sweeter while an evening snack may be more indulgent or relaxing.
Savory Snacks
Savory snacks can have higher protein content and therefore can be more satisfying and have less simple carbohydrate and sugar. This fits into the mini-meal version of snacks that nutritionists now recommend.
The newer commercial snack offerings include whole ingredients like nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Many are made to accommodate modern diet needs like keto, vegan and paleo. Other trends are reflected in labels that advertise non-GMO, gluten-free, allergen-free, high protein and low sugar.
A more recent trend is the use of “sustainable ingredients.” For instance “Uglies Kettle Potato Chips” which are made from “ugly” potatoes which might be cosmetically unappealing for the produce market but provide a great way to reduce wasting perfectly nutritious ingredients.
The Alternative Potato Chips
Although potato chips & potato products are still the most popular fried, sliced vegetable, a number of competitors that offer potentially more nutritious snacks have made headway. Terra Chips has used a number of whole root vegetables for the last two decades in their snack products. Recognizing the demand for variety they have offered salted, plain, barbecue and chipotle flavored chips. More recently they have expanded to offering a medley of sweet potato, taro, batata, parsnip, and beets in three flavors: sea salt and vinegar, and spicy.
Sahale Snacks, a Smucker brand has taken their dried nuts and fruit mixes up another level by adding legumes to increase protein content and offer another dimension of flavor.
The new Bean + Nut Snack Mixes come in four varieties. Creole combines roasted chickpeas and fava beans with pecans and peanuts, pepitas, brown rice and diced red bell pepper with Cajun seasonings for a touch of New Orleans heat. Asian features umami-seasoned roasted edamame, lentils and puffed brown rice with cashews, chickpeas and black sesame seeds. There’s also similar bean and nut blends in white cheddar black pepper and sea salt flavors. *
Sweet is Still Awesome
Sweet snacks are still an important part of the market but reducing added sugar is increasingly important.
The use of whole fruit and natural sweetness like stevia has provided room for experimentation with new ways to reduce or eliminate refined sugar. Piedmont Candy has introduced a snack with 2 grams of sugar and only 60 calories per half cup. They use a combination of erythritol, stevia and a touch of sugar, along with chicory root fiber and soluble corn fiber, to keep sugar content low. The flavor is sweeter than table sugar.
Great Potential
The new paradigm about snacking provides the food industry with great possibilities for new products and innovation. The trend has been to make snacks into something that literally resemble a mini-meal. New products that address increased consumer awareness of good nutrition, sustainability and avoiding refined sugar are disrupting the industry in ways most of us couldn’t have imagined several years ago.
* https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/18946-ingredients-fueling-snack-food-innovation
Recent Comments