Health and Wellness Driving Protein Snacking
Snacking is a part of daily life for most Americans, with 70% of consumers having a snack on a typical day.1 At the same time, the culture of snacking continues to evolve, especially in response to COVID. 61% of US consumers now use different types of foods and beverages as snacks (such as homemade snacks) than before COVID began, and 47% have leftovers for a snack at least once a week.2
The COVID pandemic has also encouraged more consumers to consider how important their diet is to their overall health and wellness, with 93% of US adults making some effort to eat healthfully.3 To address these changing needs, snack food brands are innovating with ingredients and formats. Protein snacks are at the forefront of this effort.
Benefits of Protein Snacks
Protein snacks stand out to consumers due to protein’s unique role in supporting health, weight management, and workouts. High protein is very important when choosing which snacks to eat or drink for one in four US consumers.4 Read more about the importance of protein to consumers in 2022.
Satiety
Satiety is a key reason consumers are considering protein when they buy a snack. Protein snacks help consumers feel fuller for longer, which not only makes for a satisfying snack, but also helps curb hunger to support a healthy weight. 42% of global consumers have become extremely concerned about their health and physical fitness because of COVID,5 making consuming healthy nutrients and maintaining a healthy weight especially important.