High Protein Snacks Beyond the Protein Bar

Protein is on the mind of more and more consumers who view snacks as both a treat and a healthful choice. Research from Mintel shows that 94% of U.S. adults snack at least once daily and half (50%) snack two or three times per day. As snacking becomes more of an ingrained part of the American diet, it will be increasingly important for snacks to deliver nutrition benefits, including high-quality protein.

According to Nielsen, over half (55%) of U.S. households agree that “high protein” is important to keep in mind when deciding on food purchases. Additionally, there are more than five million Americans following a high-protein diet. That’s a full six percent of all U.S. households with someone trying to achieve high intake targets for protein.

Fortunately, recent innovations have opened the door to delivering ample servings of complete proteins, as well as other attractive health benefits, in a myriad of snack applications. This development has food manufacturers looking beyond just bars and shakes to deliver high-protein snacks.

DEMAND FOR HEALTHY SNACKS IS DRIVING GROWTH IN SNACKING CATEGORY

According to a 2018 Food Insight study, a majority of consumers (69%) said they sometimes snack at least twice daily. The snacking business grew globally in 2017, according to Nielsen, and healthy snacks are driving this growth. Separately, a report from Hexa Research expects sales of healthy snacks in the U.S. to reach $5.3 billion by 2025 on rising demand from younger market segments.

While conventional snacking slightly declined in recent years, the $17 billion health and wellness snacking category has increased, according to a 2018 Mintel report. This may be due to changing patterns in the American diet.

According to the 13th Annual Food and Health Survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, more than one third of Americans followed a specific eating pattern or diet in the past year. Restricted carbohydrate and intermittent fasting were among the top diet patterns mentioned in the survey. This trend could drive consumers to seek more high-protein food sources, including snacks.

U.S. SENIORS BENEFIT FROM MORE PROTEIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Individuals seeking to increase the amount of high-quality protein they take in throughout the day may turn to snacks to get additional servings of the macronutrient. Studies suggest that ingesting protein in even amounts throughout the day may result in better physical performance and overall satiety, which may, in turn, promote a generally more healthful diet. This may affect seniors, in particular, and motivate them to get a healthy serving of protein at and between meals.

Recent research suggests that older adults who evenly distribute intake of a total of 75 g to 90 g of protein throughout the day may reduce or delay age-related sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass). However, the research also suggests that this muscle-building response is reduced at lower protein intake levels throughout the day, all the more reason for older consumers to reach for a serving of high-protein chips, crisps, or even cookies.

In fact, according to Nielsen, Americans aged 65 and over are among the most well-informed demographic groups regarding the protein content of high-protein foods. Perhaps surprisingly, millennials (age 18-36) ranked above even their older counterparts in their knowledge of high-protein sources. When it comes to shopping behavior, families with children ages six to 18 years old and senior couples are the most likely to consider protein as a “must have” or “good to have” item in their cart. These data suggest that consumers across a diverse range of age groups are learning about protein’s benefits and making purchase decisions based on that knowledge.