Mindful Munching

The evolution of mealtime is fueling the trend toward new kinds of nibbles.

- Lynn Petrak

Snacks used to be fillers bridging three square meals a day. As traditional sit-down meals have given way to splintered eating at different times and locations, however, snacking is becoming a bona fi de occasion on its own.

Snacking is no longer all about sitting down with a bag of chips or a dish of ice cream — that still happens, of course, but more consumers are eating on the go and choosing smaller portions, mini-meals, and packaged or prepared snacks for convenient consumption and satisfaction

“Th ere’s been a definite shift toward more mindful snacking,” affirms Jim Low, EVP of sales and marketing for Schuman Cheese, in Fairfield, N.J. “Snacks are less of an impulse when consumers feel hungry, and instead, over time, they have moved toward purposeful snacking with higher quality, more nutritious products. Snacking is now a more valuable food purchase.”

Snack manufacturers have rolled with these changes. “Rather than perceiving snacking to simply be a way to squelch hunger between meals, instead it is an intentional way to graze,” observes Mark Singleton, VP of sales and marketing for the Southern Recipe Small Batch line from Lima, Ohio-based Rudolph Foods.

Consumer studies confirm the frequency of snack purchases and consumption. According to research from Chicago-based Datassential, consumers report eating up to four to five snacks a day. Another study, from Chicago-based Mintel, found that high-frequency snackers who indulge three to four times a day described themselves as “too busy” to eat a full meal.

Key Takeaways

More consumers are eating on the go and choosing smaller portions, mini meals, and packaged or prepared snacks for convenient consumption. This trend has led to an increase in snacking on items that provide a nutritional benefit of some kind, prompting manufacturers to create and market more of these better-for-you products.