Snack on this: The better-for-you trend satiating consumer hunger
‘Snackification’ isn’t just a trend. It’s a revolution that has transformed the way consumers eat.
Snacks are no longer reserved for in-between meals. Consumers are increasingly adopting flexible snacking patterns and replacing meals with snacks. But they’re doing so with health in mind with more and more making the shift to better-for-you alternatives.
Healthy snacks are already on the menu for 60% of consumers, with one-third of all consumers shifting to more health-conscious snacking.
“There’s a growing pool of consumers who are looking to do better for themselves and their health,” explains Brice Oxenham, Key Account Manager at Unique Health Products. “When these shoppers are scanning shelves, they’re looking for the snack products that can help them achieve this.”
In line with the rapid snackification of mealtimes, the category has expanded to meet consumer demand. Brice explains that within the better-for-you snack category, consumers are broadly looking for three things – salty snacks, sweet snacks and sport snacks.
Discover the trends driving each of these categories and the products consumers are reaching for to satisfy their hunger for snacks.
Salty snacks
Better-for-you salty snacks include savoury nuts, chips and vegetable snacks. Many include functional ingredients without the typical nasties you’d find in mainstream alternatives.
The Good Crisp Company stackable chips contain no GMOs, MSGs or artificial flavours and are certified gluten free. Available in five flavours, the brand personality matches the flavour of the chips with shelf-standout, bold packaging.
Health Guru's guilt-free and flavourful Cauliflower Puffs are vegan, gluten-free and made with non-GMO ingredients and actual freeze-dried cauliflower to retain the natural sweetness and nutrients. They meet the demand for functional products, the cauliflower trend and the growth in puff-based products.
The Seaweed Snack from Ocean’s Halo is a lower sodium, better-for-you alternative made from nutrient-dense and sustainable seaweed. Lightly roasted, certified vegan and in a range of trending umami flavours, the snacks have just 20 calories per pack and are free from gluten and GMO ingredients.
Sweet snacks
When buying sweet snacks, consumers are seeking free-from alternatives to nostalgic favourites. This includes biscuits, confectionery, chocolates and other sweet treats.
A pioneer in the free-from category, Leda produces healthy twists on Aussie favourites. From home-baked style cookies to fruit-filled bars, the products are made in dedicated dairy, egg and gluten-free production facilities.
For nutritious granola and nutty snacks, Yava ethically crafts products in small batches. Featuring fresh, high-quality ingredients, the range is vegan and well-priced for grab n’ go convenience.
Sport snacks
This is a segment seeing consistent growth, with protein and energy bar sales seeing 18.7% growth.1
CLIF is Australia’s #1 selling plant-based energy bar brand, providing essential active nutrition from organic ingredients without artificial sweeteners, flavours and preservatives.
Macro Mike Protein Indulgence Bars offer a fudgelike centre with protein crisps for crunch, a decadent chocolate coating and more than 15g of plant-based protein per bar.
Switch Nutrition plant-based Protein Bars are 100% natural, made with wholefood ingredients in a range of trending and nostalgic flavours.
Planning better-for-you snack shelves
With more and more consumers opting for better-for-you alternatives, Brice explains that this categorisation helps them to navigate the section.
“Consumers often know they want to choose healthier options, but they don’t always know what they’re looking for,” he adds. “We recommend starting with planograms to ensure there is an easy flow in the snack section."
“This applies whether you’re taking an integrated approach to have better-for-you snacks alongside mainstream options or if you’re creating a separate better-for-you section.”
Brice recommends starting by dividing snacks into the three categories – salty, sweet and sports – and then planning from there.