Snacks

Snacking Habits: Meal-time Fragmentation and Escapism

Consumers Often Skip Meals but Want More Structured Eating Habits

Meal-time fragmentation is a growing trend on a global scale. Consumers are frequently skipping meals, particularly earlier in the day. For instance, FMCG Gurus’ consumer insights reveal that 47% of global consumers say they skip breakfast at least sometimes. This behaviour is often attributed to a lack of time or hunger. This indicates a shift away from traditional structured meal times to more informal eating patterns throughout the day. When meals are skipped, it is common for consumers to opt for snacks to avoid hunger.

However, these choices may lack nutritional value, contributing to rising obesity rates associated with changing meal patterns. Although, in the past year, there has been a noticeable increase in consumer efforts to combat meal-time fragmentation. This is particularly noticeable in the morning. This shift is likely linked to consumers' desires to improve their health. Additionally, this may also be to take greater control of their finances by planning their meals more intentionally. 

Snacking is Driven Mostly by Indulgence

Consumers indicate that they choose a variety of snacks. This can range from those recognized for their indulgent nature to those perceived as balanced and healthy. On the whole, consumers are most inclined to snack on chocolate and potato chips. FMCG Gurus’ market research highlights that 83% of global consumers snack on chocolate and 78% snack on potato chips. This suggests that despite intentions to enhance their overall well-being, snacking is driven more by indulgence rather than health considerations.

From a health perspective, the emphasis is on minimizing feelings of guilt associated with snacking rather than maximizing nutritional intake. In recent years, consumers have navigated through various uncertainties that have heightened their stress levels. This trend is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. As a result, this is leading people to seek snacks for escapism. 

Consumers are Snacking More Frequently, but are Looking to Make their Snacking Healthier

On a global scale, 28% of consumers report an increase in their snacking frequency compared to the previous year. This is partly attributed to the hectic lifestyles that make it challenging to adhere to structured meal plans. Additionally, it is driven by consumer concerns about the cost of living, global conflicts, and other stress-inducing factors. This is prompting individuals to turn to food for escapism. Many respondents expressed efforts to promote healthier snacking habits. This suggests dissatisfaction with their current behaviours, particularly considering the increased frequency of snacking. They are striving to alleviate the guilt associated with their consumption patterns. However, while escapism often outweighs the nutritional value of snacking habits, it is unlikely that consumers will improve the healthiness of snacking.

Consumers are Snacking More as a Means of Escapism

FMCG Gurus surveyed consumers who reported an increase in snacking frequency compared to a year ago. Our findings reveal the reasons behind this change. The main response indicated that individuals are turning to snacks to alleviate stress. This is surpassing the preference for seeking out healthier options. For instance, 45% of these consumers said they are snacking more frequently to alleviate stress. This underscores the significance of not overestimating the impact of health considerations on snacking behaviours. Consumers express dissatisfaction with their emotional well-being. This includes frequently experiencing stress, anxiety, and poor sleep patterns. All of these factors affect their mood, energy levels, and ability to manage daily responsibilities. Considering the persistence of challenges such as price inflation and global conflict threats, consumers will continue to seek snacks as a means of stress alleviation.

This article is based on FMCG Gurus: Snacking Trends – Regional Reports 2024. For more information, please click here.

Snacking Habits and Rising Costs: How Brands Can Create Value

Introduction

Snacking is a daily ritual for many consumers, whether that is for seeking out of a much-needed energy boost to get them through their long day, or simply as a small moment of indulgence. In this current cost-of-living crisis, many consumers are making all important cutbacks on their food shop as they struggle with everyday living costs. Snacks are an item deemed as non-essential by some, meaning brands need to do all they can to increase perceptions of value and encourage consumers to purchase.

Snacking Habits

Meal skipping is common across the globe and many consumers choose to replace meals with snacks. Our research finds that breakfast is most commonly skipped, with nearly half of global consumers saying they skip it at least some of the time. This tendency to skip meals means that snacking occasions tend to be more frequent and need to satisfy various need states, especially as the concept of what constitutes a meal and a snack becomes more blurred.

Snacking is common across the globe at all times of the day. Even though breakfast is the most commonly skipped meal, consumers are least likely to snack in the morning, demonstrating that snacking is not driven purely by the desire to satisfy hunger. The desire for energy is the main reason why consumers snack in the morning, with 49% saying they snack in the morning for an energy boost. In the afternoon and evening, consumers are snacking as they want to satisfy hunger, with half of consumers saying this.

Consumers state they are snacking more, but are trying to be more-health orientated, however there is likely to be an attitude/behaviour gap. Our research finds that 28% of consumers snack more frequently compared to twelve months earlier and 31% say that their snacking has become healthier over the last year. Consumers could be snacking more due to the current cost-of-living crisis resulting in consumers seeking moments of comfort and escapism, despite this many will choose to seek out better-for-you snacks.

Health

In recent years, consumers have taken a more proactive approach to health, as the pandemic resulted in them re-evaluating their perceptions of wellness. While fear of the pandemic has passed, consumers remain committed to leading a healthier lifestyle, especially as many people feel their health has improved over the last few years. This means consumers are more attentive to the ingredients they consume, seeking out functional ingredients, while minimizing their intake of ingredients they do not deem healthy such as sugar.

Our research finds that 64% of global consumers check the nutritional labelling when seeking out snacks, of these consumers 65% are checking for the sugar content. Following this, 53% check the calorie content and 45% check the fat content. This highlights that consumers are most likely to check the content of ingredients they deem unhealthy rather than ingredients that can boost their health. This shows that when it comes to the average snacking occasions, consumers are more likely to seek out better-for-you products associated with moderated intake of “bad” ingredients, as opposed to seeking out products that are seen to contribute to health positively. Furthermore, consumers are more interested in snacks being guilt free, rather than functional, as 64% of consumers say that Avoiding/moderating the intake of ingredients that are associated with being bad for your health (such as sugar) is the most important priority when buying snacks.

Enhancing Perceptions of Value

Brands in the snacking industry need to promote the concept of affordable indulgence. Although consumers have low financial confidence, they are still willing to purchase non-essential foods and products that elicit an emotional reaction – especially as they cut down spending on bigger ticket products and services, such as visits to the foodservice channel.

Our research finds that convenience is more important than indulgence when seeking out snacks at all times of the day, for example, in the morning 75% of consumers say convenience is most important. By promoting convenient and quick snacks, this will enhance consumers perceptions of value, something which is vital in a cost-of-living crisis. Furthermore, for a snack to be perceived as higher quality, natural claims is the top response given by consumers when asked “what do you think makes a snack more premium/ higher quality?”, with 62% of consumers saying this.

This article is based on FMCG Gurus: How to Create Value in Snacks - Global Report - 2023. For more information, please click here.