The Future of Snacking

Snacks are leading the future of food

 

February 2020

 

People around the world are snacking more! Snacking has become an important part of everyday life for people all over the globe. According Mondelez International’s first ever State of Snacking Report, snacking is outpacing meals as appetites for smaller bites continues to grow. In fact, 6 in 10 adults globally say they “can’t imagine their life without snacking” (61%).

 

The State of Snacking report is a global consumer trends study that examines the role of snacking across the world in meeting consumers’ evolving needs: busy modern lifestyles, the growing desire for community connection and a more holistic sense of wellbeing. This report was developed in partnership with The Harris Poll, which complements Mondelez’s global snacking knowledge with new research conducted among thousand of consumers across 12 different countries.

 

The top findings from this report include:

 

Consumers Relationship with Food is Changing

• Snacking is becoming a part of consumers’ everyday lives. 7 in 10 say, “snacking helps me get through the day” (71%) and that “it gives an essential break in my busy days” (73%).
• 72% of those who live in the developing world, 7 out of 10 millennials, and two-thirds of people who make health a top priority (66%) prefer to eat many small meals throughout the day as opposed to large ones.
• More than half of adults say “quick, on-the-go- bites are more suited to their lifestyle than full meals” (53%), including two-thirds of millennials (66%), while convenience is the #1 driver of snack choices for adults around the world.
• Two-thirds of adults globally say they snack around the same time daily.
• 71% say snacking gives them time to connect with themselves and more than half look forward to their snacks in the day more than meals (53%).
• Snacking is happening during different dayparts around the world. Developing markets prefer small bites in the morning while developed countries tend to snack later in the day.

 

Snacking’s Role in Culture

• Snacking is foundational for sharing culture and tradition. Adults everywhere are finding common ground in snacking for shared experiences, connections and identity.
• 79% of people around the world stat that “food is our one true universal language of love around the world.”
• Snacking presents people with nostalgia. 3 in 4 people say some of their fondest childhood memories include sharing a snack with their parents (74%) and that snacking on their favorites from when they were children makes them feel nostalgic (76%).
• 78% of millennials say food is a major part of their identity and that 82% say sharing a snack is a simple way to connect across cultures.
• Most people say that snacks that their family eats have been passed down through many generations (70%) and that they have traditions about how they eat certain foods that developed when they were children (77%).
• 7 in 10 people around the world make an effort to share their favorite childhood snacks with others (70%,).
• Parents prioritize passing these traditions down to the next generation. 3 in 4 parents say, “the snacks I give my children are inspired by the ones my parents gave me as a child” (75%).
• Parents want to pass on healthy snack traditions (85%), their favorite childhood snacks (81%) and cultural snacking rituals (76%).

 

Future Snackers Seek Both Taste & Nutrition

• Most people agree it is important to take time and space to indulge. Across all demographics, people are craving the occasional snack for indulgence.
• 77% state “there is a time and a place for healthy snacks, and a time and a place for indulgent ones.” Among people who make health a top priority, this number rises to 82%.
• 66% state “when I snack for indulgence or as treat, it’s less important to make a healthier choice.”
• 67% state that they “can’t imagine a world without chocolate.”
• Snackers are becoming more mindful and holistic.
• Some snacking motivators include:
  • To pamper/spoil/reward self (78%)
  • For a sense of comfort (78%)
  • To boost mood (76%)
  • For “me time” (75%)
  • To stay alert/energized (74%)
  • To relax/calm down/relieve anxiety (73%)
  • To take care of body/for nutritional needs (72%)
• Many people are leaning into snacking for built in portion control. Two-thirds of adults say “snacking is a good way to control the portions I eat” (66%), “I look for snacks that are portion controlled” (65%), and “snacking helps me meet my nutritional needs for the day” (65%).
• Mindful snacking is eating with intention and attention, focusing on the present moment, and savoring how the food tastes so you really enjoy it.

 

What to take away from all this? Snacking is going to become more and more of a priority for consumers throughout the world. The future of snacking is looking bright!

 

To review the full State of Snacking report, click here!