Snack foods, like desserts, are a favorite for consumers and manufacturers alike. According to China Food Exhibition, they are fun, a quick indulgence, compatible with on-the-go lifestyles, affordable, and tasty.

Snacks also are on-trend. Several of Innova Market Insights Top 10 Trends for 2024 support continued successes in the snack food industry. Our third 2024 trend, “Prioritizing Prevention,” demonstrates how consumers take action to prevent health concerns and select healthier snacks. The related seventh trend, “Indulging in Health,” reflects the mash-up of health and indulgence in categories such as snacks. Our fourth trend, “Plant-based: The Rise of Applied Offerings,” also speaks to the infiltration of plant-based formats into snacks. The trend, “Local Goes Global,” our fifth trend, acknowledges the simultaneous rise of foods such as snacks with ingredients and seasoning from particular regions and food cultures.

Consumers seek healthy snacks

When we consider the better-for-you snacks market, we look for one or more product claims about reduced negative nutrients and ingredients; or better nutrition “positives.” Reduced negative claims focus on product nutrient and ingredient features associated with chronic disease—namely these include sugar, calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat, and cholesterol. Conversely, better nutrition claims emphasize features associated with health maintenance and disease prevention—including various macronutrients, and micronutrients. 

Our consumer survey results suggest that snacking is trending toward health. More than 60% of consumers globally report eating healthy snacks at least once daily. Highest percentages of consumers say that their consumption of indulgent snacks—that also have health and nutrient features—changed  most during the past 12 months. Consumers also tell us that they are choosing smaller everyday treats. 

When we asked consumers why they choose better-for-you snacks, their leading response was a “balanced diet.” They also want to improve their health, feel better physically, and manage their weight.

We ask consumers lots of questions about perceptions of a healthy snack. What makes a snack healthy? Consumers describe a healthy snack as one with enhanced positive features such as fiber, protein, and natural ingredients; and-or the absence of additives and preservatives; no artificial ingredients; and no/low/reduced claims for negative nutrients.

“We are seeing growth in bean-based snacks … Growth in this subcategory was a robust +39.4% in 2022 compared to 2021. Leading ingredients include chickpea, pea, and lentil. Because beans provide protein, launches often carry a protein claim.” 

One-third of surveyed North American consumers said that a high-protein claim is particularly important when purchasing healthy snacks. Not surprisingly, Innova Market Insights found that snack launches with a high/source of protein claim grew at a compound annual rate of +26.2% during the three-year period ending June 2023. Notable percentages of consumers also report increasing consumption of snacks that are free from or feature reduced levels of ingredients such as sugar, salt, or calories.