Snacking Today
Snacking changed a lot in 2020, with 35% of U.S. consumers reporting they snacked more in 2020 than the year before.1 With COVID lockdowns keeping consumers at home and many consumers wrestling with stress or boredom, snacking habits have been shifting. Both sweet and salty snack sales saw several years’ worth of growth in 2020 alone.
While many of today’s biggest snack trends are being driven by snacking motivations such as pleasure, nourishment, or health optimization, distraction represents a more recent need state. Snacking for distraction—which consists of mindless snacking in response to stress or boredom—has risen significantly during the pandemic and will continue to impact the snack foods industry for some time.