Researcher Elie Chamoun investigated whether genetic variants in taste receptors related to sweet preference, fat taste sensitivity and aversion to bitter green leafy vegetables influence the
snacks chosen by preschoolers.
Frozen appetizers and
snacks rang up nearly $2 billion in sales in the year ending Dec.
Just how many American consumers are subbing
snacks, at least occasionally, for meals?
Despite high levels of interest, specialty
snack shops face stiff competition from retail: two in five (41%) consumers agree that packaged
snacks from grocery stores are better than items from
snack shops, including 63% of Millennials.
Snacks saw stronger growth, with salty
snacks up 4.
Standard meals tend to go to the wayside for kids this age, particularly from mid-afternoon to late evening, and many of the convenient grab-and-go
snacks are high in fat and sugar, said Heather Leidy, Ph.
Delta's
snacks are still not very good, but their meals are getting better.
Unfortunately, the number of healthy
snacks available commercially is limited.
Healthy
snacks that are low in fat content but high in satisfaction include pretzels, low-fat crackers, low-fat cookies, popcorn without butter, fruit, sugar-free chewing gum, liquorice and raw vegetables with non-fat salad dressing for dip.
Kids still eat three meals a day, but they're also loading up on high-calorie junk food that contains little or no nutritional value during these
snacks," Barry Popkin, Ph.
Healthy
snacks release energy slowly, keeping children active.
The 'small plates' trend is one retailers can capitalize on by stocking more unconventional
snacks to replace traditional chips and cookies.
Some healthier options for those who feel they must have prepackaged
snacks, he said, are fig bars, vanilla wafers and ginger snaps because they're ``a little bit more wholesome and lower in sugar.
Thanks to a continued emphasis on good-for-you
snacks and the introduction of bold new flavors for traditional favorites, the
snack aisle may again be the hub of activity that supermarket operators had come to know and love.
Snack Ventures Europe (SVE), a joint venture between soft drinks and
snacks giant PepsiCo and food giant General Mills, has announced that it has acquired Star Foods, a Romanian
snack food manufacturer and distributor.
