Functional Benefits
The indulgent treat that provides functional nutrition is another strategy to grab consumers' attention. Functional foods and beverages that can offer an indulgent experience range from ready-to-drink coffee beverages to shake mixes to bars. Bars in particular are known for their variety of decadent flavor options, with chocolate fudge brownie and peanut butter cup the top two preferred flavors, according to a Glanbia Nutritionals survey.3 Due to recent innovations in texture around layers and fillings, some of today's bars can even compete as healthier alternatives to snackfections.
Top-of-mind functional benefits for consumers include immune support and weight management, driven by the COVID situation. There is also an emerging interest in products with calming, focus-enhancing, and energy-boosting ingredients. Regardless of whether snacking is driven by health or indulgence reasons, taste is the thing to which most US consumers pay attention.4
Snacking Made Delicious and Nutritious
These healthy snacking trends can help guide manufacturers in creating snacks that offer consumers the balanced approach to snacking they're looking for—snacks that provide a moment of bliss but still fit within a healthy lifestyle. Manufacturers of indulgent snacks can meet this growing demand by adding ingredients and nutrients that elevate their products to better-for-you snacks, while sports and functional nutrition companies can be mindful of flavor and texture choices to create a decadent experience consumers crave.
We offer a wide range of ingredient solutions for high-protein snacks, including functionally optimized dairy-based and plant-based proteins, and XtraProTM Seasonings—our innovative high-protein seasoning flavor system for savory snacks. Our extruded solution proteins and Crunchie™ bites and crisps provide a range of exceptional textures and a hearty crunch to snacks. As experts in the development of functional foods, we also provide custom premix solutions to bring you value no matter what stage of the formula process you are in. Collaborate with us to find out how we can make a high protein snack your consumers are sure to love.