Snack World - November 2014 - 8

NEWS
Snacking habits at
center of weight management
The highest priority for consumers trying to lose
weight is to reform their snacking habits, according
to market researcher Packaged Facts. Two in three
consumers said they limit how much they eat when
they snack, and 62% set boundaries on how often
they snack. The findings were published in the company's "Weight management: US consumer mindsets"
report.
Packaged Facts noted the eating habits of
consumers trying to lose weight or maintain their
weight have changed during the past five years. For
example, the percentage of consumers trying to lose
weight and who eat several small meals a day, often
snack between meals, and focus on choosing healthy
snack options has increased. The percentage of those
consumers trying to maintain their weight and who
eat several small meals and usually only snack on
healthy foods has grown even faster.
By comparison, the idea of eating smaller or moderate portions at mealtimes does not rank high on
the list of actions for dieters even though overeating
at meals ranked fourth on the list of reasons why
overweight adults believe they are overweight. Only
33% of consumers said they are taking the step to
lose weight.

SNACK FOOD
ASSOCIATION
An International Trade Association

HACCP & Food Safety Certification - Feb. 4-5, 2015
Baltimore, MD
www.sfa.org
SNAXPO - March 28-31, 2015
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, FL
www.snaxpo.com
SFA Legislative Summit - June 2-3, 2015
Washington, DC
www.sfa.org

Affiliated Events
Potato Expo - Jan. 7-9, 2015
Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL
10times.com/potatoexpo
Snack Foods Processing Short Course - March 22-27, 2015
Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
http://foodprotein.tamu.edu/extrusion

Snack World

November 2014

www.sfa.org

Generational snack preferences
It's no secret snacking is on the rise, but a new study
suggests preferences for away-from-home options
vary between baby boomers and millennials.
In a survey of 1,314 participants, comprised of 942
millennials aged 19 to 36 and 372 boomers aged 49
to 67, researchers from Culinary Visions Panel, Chicago, found both groups seek value and freshness in
snack options available at food service venues.
However, while boomers choose less expensive
items, millennials prefer portability and convenience. Additionally, the younger demographic
favors a variety of snacks not associated with a
particular day part, while the older generation sticks
to a more limited selection of items tied to different
times of day.
"Targeting consumers by age and life stage within
significant demographic groups, such as millennials
and baby boomers, can be effective in successfully
promoting snacks in different foodservice venues,"
said Sharon Olson, executive director of Culinary
Visions Panel.
More than a third of millennials reported an
increase in snacking from a year ago, with 26- to
30-year-olds indicating three or more snacking
occasions per day, while only 13% of boomers said
they are snacking more often. Both groups buy
snacks from convenience stores, quick-service restaurants, supermarket delis and bakeries.
Brand recognition is not a priority for either
group. Twenty percent of millennials and 11% of
boomers prefer branded snack items.

NPD indicates snack
foods growing at mealtime
Lines are blurring between meals and snacks as
more consumers pack their plates with such items
as yogurt and fruit, according to The NPD Group,
a Chicago-based market research firm. Traditional
snack foods consumed at main meals is expected to
grow approximately 5% to 86.4 billion eating occasions in 2018.
"What seems to be happening is consumers are
using these convenience types of foods to maybe
round out their meals a little more," said Darren
Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst for The
NPD Group, in an interview with Food Business News,
a Sosland Publishing magazine. "It's more of those
snack foods that can flexibly go between being
a snack food and maybe something that can go
alongside a main meal."
Better-for-you snack foods such as nutrition bars
and Greek yogurt are leading the growth of snacks
consumed at mealtimes.

http://www.sfa.org http://www.snaxpo.com http://www.sfa.org http://www.10times.com/potatoexpo http://foodprotein.tamu.edu/extrusion http://www.sfa.org

Snack World - November 2014

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