Snacking in between meals is an age-old concept. It keeps the consumer full till the time they take their next large meal. It enables them to continue working keeping them energized all through the day. Since it is all about energy and nutrition, given the pressing modern times, the need or having healthier snacks is, even more, today than before.
There is a significant change in the behavior and buying pattern, need and choices in the consumer is noticed nowadays. The consumers today want healthier snacks than before and are even willing to pay more to have it. It is, for this reason, modern-day snack delivery should be more of healthy snacks delivery rather than the traditional concept of providing any and every possible and available snack item.
Moreover, modern snack delivery mechanisms must have and provide a wider variety of food choices just because:
- People have a diverse need
- There are people having food restrictions due to allergy and other medical conditions and
- Snacks are taken almost anytime, even at nights (consider the BPOs that work all night).
It is therefore required that a snack delivery system is a one-stop-shop that can provide with everything that a consumer needs.
Focus on consumer health
The health concern of the consumers now is at the front, left, right and center for those companies who churn out extensive amounts of profit from the food products that line supermarket shelves. Nowadays, terms like organic and all-natural foods are doing rounds and have become the buzzwords for these companies.
It is, for this reason, the food delivery companies now are more prepared with a larger snack arsenal that includes:
- A variety of soups
- Foods that contain USDA-certified organic ingredients
- Shelf-stable vegetables, fruits and juices
- Health food items that have no added sugar or any artificial ingredients.
At a Consumer Analyst Group conference in New York, several major food companies in the industry ventilated the health theme in unison. They emphasized on the recent trend of maintaining a healthy lifestyle brand. These food brands contain products that are aimed for consumers who have specific allergies on specific food items or those who want gluten-free and non-GMO foods.
Shift in the mindset
According to research, it is seen that:
- There is a 30% growth seen on the US allergen-free segment and more and more companies are betting on such gluten-free foods.
- The research also shows that there is a bright future of these companies with a projected retail sale of $8.8 billion in the US.
- The predicted growth is also estimated to reach $10.6 billion by the end of this decade since the food companies are now launching large varieties of gluten-free foods.
Looking back a couple of years back, the global sales of healthy food products, in fact, was estimated to reach up to $1 trillion, according to Euromonitor.
This does indicate one thing: there is a health fad among consumers. These health fads have come and gone but the health foods have a significant impact on the mindset of the consumers regarding modern snacking, according to Global Health and Wellness Survey. They all want healthy foods to be added to their food list.
It is also seen that in order to have these healthy foods to beaded in their daily diet, they are also willing to pay even more money than usual. However, the shift towards healthy foods that boosts health as well as weight loss is the most significant change that is noticed among the consumers in the recent times.
Statistical facts and analysis results
There are a few facts and figures that helps in substantiating the shift in the mindset of the consumers now. It shows that:
- About 88% of the people are ready to pay more for having healthier foods and this includes people from all demographics from Baby Boomers to Generation Z
- The healthy food choices of these people include those that are GMO and gluten-free, contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives and are organic and natural.
They are now more interested to have foods that are considered as functional foods and different percentage of people had a different liking for the specific type of such foods. The study showed that:
- 36% of people wanted food that contained a high amount of fiber in it
- 32% of them wanted to have foods that are rich in protein content
- 30% of people wanted to have vitamins while
- 29% wanted mineral-rich food
- 30% of them wanted whole grains and
- 30% wanted to include foods that are fortified with calcium in their list.
They all possess a general notion that consuming these types of foods will help them to reduce the chances of disease developing in them and at the same time will promote good health as desirable by each of the consumers who has varying physical, emotional, social and financial needs and abilities.
Finding the reasons of this shift
In the end, it is time to find out the proper reasons as to why modern-day consumers have such a changed concept of snacking. For this, it is required to look into things from the perspectives of the consumers.
- Experts suggests that economic concerns are the most significant factor as this is what actually remains in the forefront for making any decision by any consumers.
- On the other hand, the health and wellness concerns of the consumers also play a significant role in their decision making and therefore continue to grow in importance.
It is also seen that the reasons vary from one person to another and are based on other significant factors that include societal, technological, demographic, and governmental. Most importantly, the shift in consumer focus on the role of a balanced and healthy diet on boosting health and reducing the chances of diseases from developing is also the cause of such a dramatic change in the concept of snacking among the modern people today.
Thanks to modern food manufacturing companies, there is no dearth of such healthy food options on the market for you to choose from.
Photo by jwlez on Unsplash
