A Rapid Shift Towards Conscious Snacking

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has rapidly changed. What we eat, where we buy our food and beverage products, and how we engage with one another, has dramatically shifted. People have had to adapt and adjust their ways of life to cope with the situation. Food and beverage businesses have had to reorient themselves to address the changes in consumer behaviors as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today, we focus on the trends in the world of snacks.

Snacking is no longer just about convenience and comfort. Consumers are now looking for healthy snacks. More people are leaning towards healthier lifestyles and healthier foods. Before the pandemic, most consumers looked at snacks as comfort food with a convenience purpose. Snacks kept us full between meals, and would come in handy during busy schedule days. However, that has now changed - we continue to eat snacks, but we are more conscious about the kind of snacks we eat. The pandemic has shown us how vital nutrition is for the human body, especially when it comes to the immune system. The concept of healthy snacking isn’t only about eliminating specific nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, or sugars, but incorporating nutritionally balanced and nourishing components in our snacks.

Nuts and seeds have grown in popularity in the Philippines over the past few months. Singapore has seen oat-based snacks and dark chocolates gain a lot of traction while in China, cereals and protein bars are now more popular. 

Consumers are becoming more aware of calories, sugar, and salt consumption. They listen to health officials and their peers and learn about the health risk factors of diabetes and obesity. No one wants to eat any food or beverage product that would pose any health risks to them. For that reason, people are going for the snacks without artificial additives and preservatives or those that are made using healthier ingredients like wholegrain. 

With health being top of mind these days, more people are considering snacks with immunity-enhancing ingredients, vitamins, or proteins. Taste is still a top consideration for consumers, so as you look to produce snacks with health benefits, don’t ignore the aspect of great taste. Your ability to remain agile and relevant at the most critical times will enable your food business to succeed.

There has also been a marked increase in home cooking and baking. Most people used to be reliant on pre-mixes. Now there is a surge in people making snacks from scratch. There are a couple of food business owners who are producing their snacks from home. 

Snacks remain essential during summer, but consumers buy through online channels like they are doing with other food and beverage products. People say that eating their favorite snacks makes them feel normal during these abnormal times. Having your favorite summer snacks can remind you of the previous good summer times. Consumers aren’t shy about trying new snacks. Variety and convenience are helping in how they make their snack choices.

How you run your food or beverage brand is very important when you want to achieve food or beverage business success. Satisfying your consumers’ demands and being mindful of their changing consumption patterns will enable your food or beverage business to remain in the good books of your consumers and, ultimately, achieve success.

Need help shifting to make sure your brand is meeting consumers’ demands? Book a call with our Food Expert team today. 

Published by Healthy Food & Beverage Group Contributor Calvin Wasambla