• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Nutraceuticals
    • Markets
    • Health
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Buyers' Guide
    • Showcases
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Nutraceuticals
  • Markets
  • Health
  • Jobs
  • Events
  • Buyers' Guide
  • Showcases
  • Current & Past Issues
    Features
    Columns
    Editorials
    Digital Edition
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    eNewsletter
    Editorial Guidelines
    Top Features
    Nutraceuticals for Men: Muscle Health and Performance Nutrition

    Aging in Place: Healthy Lifestyles Supplement Science-Based Solutions

    Getting an Edge in Esports: Meeting the Health Needs of Competitive Gamers

    Beyond CBD: Cannabis Compounds Warrant Recognition and More Research

    Leveling Out the Energy Segment for Mainstream, and Rethinking Caffeine
    Breaking News
    Certifications, Approvals and Patents
    Exclusives
    Industry & Market News
    People
    Products
    Regulatory
    Research
    Supplier News
    Supplier Insights
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe

    Alkemist Labs Announces Alkemist Assured Seal and Next Generation Transparency Reports

    GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts

    Danone Celebrates 10th anniversary of Grant Program for Probiotics Research

    Stratum Nutrition’s Patent Portfolio Grows to Europe and Canada
    Exclusives
    Blogs & Guest Articles
    Health E-Insights
    Area Code 420
    eBook
    Antioxidants
    Dairy-Based Ingredients
    Enzymes
    Fatty Acids
    Fiber & Carbohydrates
    Green Foods
    Herbs & Botanicals
    Marine Nutraceuticals
    Minerals
    Omega 3s
    Probiotics & Prebiotics
    Proteins, Peptides, Amino Acids
    Sweeteners
    Vitamins

    GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts

    Danone Celebrates 10th anniversary of Grant Program for Probiotics Research

    Botanical Ingredient MorActive Evidenced to Relieve Back Discomfort

    Cargill’s Stevia Sustainability Program Benchmarked by FSA

    GOED Creates Infographic Highlighting Omega-3 Health Claims Approved in Europe
    Consumer Trends
    Contract Manufacturing
    Cosmeceuticals / Nutricosmetics
    Delivery & Dosage Technologies
    Dietary Supplements
    Flavors & Colors
    Functional Foods & Beverages
    Healthcare Trends
    Medical Nutrition
    Mergers & Acquisitions
    Natural/Organic
    Nutrition Bars
    Packaging
    Pet Nutraceuticals
    Quality & Safety
    Regulations
    Research
    Testing
    World Markets

    Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe

    Alkemist Labs Announces Alkemist Assured Seal and Next Generation Transparency Reports

    GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts

    Danone Celebrates 10th anniversary of Grant Program for Probiotics Research

    Stratum Nutrition’s Patent Portfolio Grows to Europe and Canada
    Bone & Joint Health
    Cancer Risk
    Cardiovascular Health
    Cognitive Function
    Diabetes & Blood Sugar Management
    Digestive Health
    Energy
    Eye Health
    Healthy Aging
    Immune Function
    Infant & Children's Health
    Inflammation
    Men's Health
    Mood Health & Sleep
    Oral Health
    Sexual & Reproductive Health
    Skin Health
    Sports Nutrition
    Weight Management/Weight Loss
    Women's Health

    Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe

    Danone Celebrates 10th anniversary of Grant Program for Probiotics Research

    Beyond Raw Launches Concept X Pre-Workout Line

    Botanical Ingredient MorActive Evidenced to Relieve Back Discomfort

    Kyowa Hakko Appoints Dr. Colin Hill to Immuse Scientific Advisory Board
    Industry Events
    Live From Show Events
    Webinars
    All Companies
    Categories
    Trade Associations
    Company Capabilities
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Sabinsa Corporation

    Xsto Solutions

    Verdure Sciences

    Atlantia Clinical Trials

    PhytoGaia Inc
    Companies
    Product Releases
    News Releases
    Literature / Brochures
    White Papers
    Jobs
    VIdeos
    Services
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Sabinsa Corporation

    Xsto Solutions

    Verdure Sciences

    Atlantia Clinical Trials

    PhytoGaia Inc
    • Magazine
      • Current / Back Issue
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers' Guide
      • All Companies
      • Categories
      • Trade Associations
      • Company Capabilities
    • Nutraceuticals
      • Antioxidants
      • Dairy-Based Ingredients
      • Enzymes
      • Fatty Acids
      • Fiber & Carbohydrates
      • Green Foods
      • Herbs & Botanicals
      • Marine Nutraceuticals
      • Minerals
      • Omega 3s
      • Probiotics & Prebiotics
      • Proteins, Peptides, Amino Acids
      • Sweeteners
      • Vitamins
    • Markets
      • Consumer Trends
      • Contract Manufacturing
      • Cosmeceuticals / Nutricosmetics
      • Delivery & Dosage Technologies
      • Dietary Supplements
      • Flavors & Colors
      • Functional Foods & Beverages
      • Healthcare Trends
      • Medical Nutrition
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Natural/Organic
      • Nutrition Bars
      • Packaging
      • Pet Nutraceuticals
      • Quality & Safety
      • Regulations
      • Research
      • Testing
      • World Markets
    • Health
      • Bone & Joint Health
      • Cancer Risk
      • Cardiovascular Health
      • Cognitive Function
      • Diabetes & Blood Sugar Management
      • Digestive Health
      • Energy
      • Eye Health
      • Healthy Aging
      • Immune Function
      • Infant & Children's Health
      • Inflammation
      • Men's Health
      • Mood Health & Sleep
      • Oral Health
      • Sexual & Reproductive Health
      • Skin Health
      • Sports Nutrition
      • Weight Management/Weight Loss
      • Women's Health
    • Online Exclusives
    • Webinars
    • Slideshows
    • Blogs & Guest Articles
    • Health E-Insights
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • eBook
    • Whitepapers
    • Research
      • TrendSense
      • Monograph Center
      • White Papers
      • Research News
    • Jobs
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Supplier Showcases
      • Companies
      • Product Releases
      • News Releases
      • Literature / Brochures
      • White Papers
      • Jobs
      • VIdeos
      • Services
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Features

    Modern Snacking: Where Health & Indulgence Converge

    Consumers are looking for products that can satisfy their nutritional needs but also serve as rewards they crave.

    Modern Snacking: Where Health & Indulgence Converge
    By Samantha Jones, HealthFocus International01.19.21
    Health and indulgence used to be on opposing sides of the snacking spectrum. Consumers would choose a product that was either indulgent or healthy, but they weren’t paying attention to the overlap. But consumers have become much more savvy and demanding when it comes to their product choices; they want it all, health and indulgence.

    Overall, views on snacking have shifted significantly. Snacks were once considered an addition to a regular diet and were widely viewed as something to avoid. Today though, they are an active and positive part of regular diets. Snacks have become an integral part of daily life as schedules are perpetually busy, and people are in need of quick and easy ways to satisfy hunger for themselves and their family.

    While a majority of people say they are snacking, they are not yet satisfied with what is currently available. This is where health and indulgence converge. Year after year diets are improving and consumers are looking for snacks that will satisfy their hunger and taste good, without leaving them feeling guilty.

    Better Choices
    Only 12% of consumers globally are what we call “anti-snackers”—those that always avoid snacking. That leaves 88% of people who are snacking. In addition, nearly five out of 10 shoppers believe that snacking throughout the day is just as good, if not better than, eating three meals a day. What the majority of people are avoiding are the unhealthy snacks, the things that may taste good but leave them feeling hungry and unsatisfied.

    People are still enjoying indulgent snacks, but their choices are much more focused on healthier options or options with healthier elements, like higher protein content. The difficult piece is determining what “health” means to each consumer; it could be lower sugar or calories or that the product was produced sustainably. Either way, it’s about making a “better-for-me” choice that results in less guilt.

    While indulgent snacks such as cookies/biscuits, candies/chocolate, and salty snacks have been steadily increasing since 2014, the usage of cereal/granola bars, meal replacement bars, and sports/energy bars has nearly doubled in the same amount of time.

    Snack Bars
    It’s clear that consumers are seeking snack bars and increasingly adding them to their diets. However, most snack bars are found in the center-store and are considered a processed food, which is often connected to being unhealthy. So why is usage increasing so much?

    Even though most consumers view highly processed foods negatively, they are also necessary to provide the benefits they want. Food processing has an advantage when it comes to creating a healthier product through functional ingredients and corresponding benefits. This is something that unprocessed or “clean” foods and beverages can’t do. These added benefits help to create a product that the consumer can feel better about—a product that can help them reduce any guilt they may have when choosing or consuming a “snack.”

    Sending the Right Messages
    Although shoppers are comfortable with processed foods to get the benefits they want, they also want ingredients they recognize and understand. For six out of 10 shoppers, recognizing what is in a product helps influence their choice when they are shopping, but more importantly, consumers want to be informed on what they are eating.

    Consumers want to know what’s in the product they are choosing to make the decision that is right for them at the time. It may not always be the healthiest choice from an ingredient standpoint, but it might be the cleanest or the most environmentally friendly, which could equate to a better or lower guilt choice.

    Labels such as fresh, natural, no preservatives, no artificial colors/sweeteners/flavors are important to have on the front of the package. Advertising the things that shoppers want to stay informed about on their product labels is a great way to make them stop and look at something new.

    Some may not be as concerned with the amount of calories a product has if it isn’t fresh or natural, but it’s a choice each consumer wants to make for themselves. With over half of shoppers saying their diet has improved, they want their snacking choices to reflect their new eating habits.

    Healthy Indulgence
    Although diets are improving, needs change throughout the day and there are many factors that influence what someone chooses to eat. When comparing nutrition to indulgence or reward, nutrition is far more important for all snacking occasions. Even still, we see consumers wanting to treat themselves with reward or indulgence more as the day goes on, and the priority for nutrition declines (see Figure 1.)

    FIGURE 1. Nutrition vs. Indulgence Decision Making

    Source: HealthFocus International 2020 Health Indulgence & Snacking Report

    With nutrition and indulgence both being important, and particularly in snack categories, there is a growing call to bridge the gap between the two. The demand for combining healthy and indulgent already exists with most consumers saying they want all categories, including soft drinks, snacks, and candy to be made as good for you as possible (see Figure 2).

    The opportunity is clear. Most say they have trouble finding products that satisfy the healthy/indulgent combination, creating a strong value-add. In fact, three out of 10 consumers are willing to pay a premium for foods and beverages that are both indulgent and healthy.

    FIGURE 2. Nutrition vs. Indulgence Product Preferences

    Source: HealthFocus International 2020 Health Indulgence & Snacking Report

    With consumers saying that their diets are improving year after year, there is less of an interest in snacks that are purely indulgent. Shoppers believe that there is connection between what they eat and how they feel. They don’t want to eat something just because it tastes good if it will make them feel bad later in the day; it just isn’t worth it when they can have an indulgent and healthy snack.

    HealthFocus International is a full-service market research and strategic consulting company specializing in understanding consumer attitudes towards health and nutrition. Since 1990, HealthFocus has been talking to consumers in over 40 countries about their interests, knowledge, and motivations around food, nutrition, and healthy living.

    Today’s consumer thinks of their wellness broadly encompassing mental, physical, and lifestyle dimensions while at the same time seeing themselves as a unique individual who is part of the larger environment. This convergence creates new opportunities and challenges for today’s food, beverage, and supplement companies to connect and engage. 


    The HealthFocus International Database on Consumers and Healthy Living is the largest available on shopper health and nutrition. The syndicated HealthFocus Trend Survey, conducted in the U.S. and more than 40 other markets provides a depository of insights and information covering the historic evolution of health and nutrition—past, present, and future. Samantha Jones can be reached at sjones@healthfocus.com.
    Related Searches
    • Consumer Trends
    • Nutrition Bars & Snacks
    Related Knowledge Center
    • Consumer Trends
    • Nutrition Bars & Snacks

    Related Content

      Breaking News
      • Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
      • Alkemist Labs Announces Alkemist Assured Seal and Next Generation Transparency Reports
      • GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts
      • Danone Celebrates 10th anniversary of Grant Program for Probiotics Research
      • Stratum Nutrition’s Patent Portfolio Grows to Europe and Canada
      View Breaking News >
      CURRENT ISSUE

      May 2022

      • Aging in Place: Lifestyle Supplements Science-Based Solutions
      • Getting an Edge in Esports: Meeting Health & Nutrition Needs
      • Nutraceuticals for Men: Muscle Health and Performance Nutrition

      Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
      You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms And Conditions
      • Contact Us

      follow us

      Subscribe
      Nutraceuticals World

      Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

      Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
      Alkemist Labs Announces Alkemist Assured Seal and Next Generation Transparency Reports
      GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts
      Coatings World

      Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

      PPG Hosts The Future of Coatings' Technology Innovation Day in Amsterdam
      Azelis Expands Presence in India with Acquisition of Chemo India and Unipharm Laboratories
      Teknos Publishes Sustainability Report
      Medical Product Outsourcing

      Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

      Anumana's ECG Pulmonary Hypertension AI Algorithm Gains Breakthrough Status
      inHEART's 3D Cardiac Modeling Tool Earns FDA Nod
      FDA OKs RapidAI's Pulmonary Embolism Triage, Notification Tool
      Contract Pharma

      Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

      Mirum Pharmaceuticals Acquires San Diego-based Satiogen
      Catalyst Biosciences Sells Complement Portfolio to Vertex Pharmaceuticals
      Insmed Appoints Drayton Wise as Chief Commercial Officer
      Beauty Packaging

      Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

      La Roche-Posay Launches Matte Moisturizer for Oily Skin
      3 Amorepacific Employees Stole $2.3 Million
      L'Oreal CEO Nicolas Hieronimus On Sustainability Initiatives
      Happi

      Latest Breaking News From Happi

      TikToker Abbie Herbert, Founder of Personal Care Brand Pavot, Launches Body Water, Razor Burn Treatment Pads With Beaubble Partnership
      E.l.f. Cosmetics Introduces ‘Big Mood Pride Mascara’ Ahead of Pride Month
      SeneGenece Introduces The Gemini Sign LipSense Moisturizing Gloss
      Ink World

      Latest Breaking News From Ink World

      Flint Group Flexible Packaging Europe Implements Further Price Increase
      Nazdar Launches 205 Series Inks for Roland TrueVIS SG2 and VG2 Series Printers
      Quad Adds Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press
      Label & Narrow Web

      Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

      AWA to host 22nd Global Release Liner Industry Conference & Exhibition
      Domino assists Grace Label with supply chain disruptions
      Rotocon wins AI Business Excellence Award
      Nonwovens Industry

      Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

      Rael Raises $35M in Series B Funding
      Schobertechnologies Offers Rotary Web-fed Converting Solutions
      Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
      Orthopedic Design & Technology

      Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

      Stryker Launches EasyFuse Dynamic Compression for Foot & Ankle
      Extremity Medical Rolls Out OMNI Stable Ankle Fracture System
      James W. Stone Named AANA President
      Printed Electronics Now

      Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

      InnovationLab Acquires Flexible Printed Battery Technology from Evonik
      Canatu Receives IATF 16949:2016 Certification
      Applied Materials Announces 2Q 2022 Results

      Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

      AD BLOCKER DETECTED

      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


      FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login