Consumers Crave Conscious Indulgence in Snacking

The Shift toward Conscious Indulgence

The craving for a decadent treat now and then, whether it’s cookies after a long workday or ice cream as a bedtime snack, is familiar to most of us. Even among the healthiest eaters, moments of feeling good matter. As more consumers seek to balance the desire for indulgent treats with healthy eating, what they’re looking for in a snack is shifting.

The trend in conscious indulgence represents the growing demand for indulgent treats that are healthier in some way than the traditional versions. This includes indulgent high-protein snacks such as protein cookies, muffins, and brownies, as well as ready-to-drink shakes and lattes that offer functional nutrition. Even smaller portions meet this trend—for example, protein or energy balls in decadent flavors.

Just Add Protein

Adding protein to an indulgent snack is a clear opportunity to achieve better-for-you positioning. Protein cookies, brownies, and snack cakes are all examples of products found in the sports nutrition section that have enormous potential to engage mainstream consumers. Like the wildly popular protein ice cream, these decadent protein-fortified bakery products are also lower in sugar and calories than their traditional counterparts.

The COVID lockdown has made indulgent high-protein snacks especially appealing due to their dual role in providing comfort as a sweet treat and supporting efforts toward healthy nutrition. According to Glanbia Nutritionals’ recent consumer survey, 29% of US consumers indicated they increased their consumption of protein cookies and brownies at the end of 2020.² Protein-fortified brownie and muffin mixes are alternatives to ready-to-eat versions that work perfectly with the trend in home baking.

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. 

References

1. FMCG Gurus, Top Trends for 2020, January 2020.
2. Glanbia Nutritionals Proprietary Consumer Report – Week 41, December 2020.
3. Glanbia Nutritionals Proprietary Consumer Study, January 2020.
4. FMCG Gurus, Healthy Snacking, Sept 2019.