In-Home Snacking Occasions, Click to view larger.
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The NPD Group, a market research firm that continually tracks America's eating patterns, took a look into the future of eating
in a new report, and finds that there will be a whole lot of snacking going on over the next decade. The new study, entitled
"A Look into The Future of Eating," reports that in-home snacking—morning, mid-day and evening, but especially morning—will
outpace population growth over the next decade.
The report, which evaluates and forecasts 160 different food and beverage-related behaviors, attitudes, personal characteristics,
and food groups based on the eating and drinking habits of individuals as they age, reveals that by 2018, the total number
of in-home snack occasions are expected to increase 19 percent over 2008. Morning snacking is forecasted to increase by 23
percent; in-home afternoon snacking is expected to increase by 20 percent; and evening snacking is forecasted to increase
by 15 percent over the next 10 years compared to 2008.
Sweet Snacks & Desserts, Click to view larger.
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"The strong projected growth in snacking is both a reflection of the growth in new types of snack foods, as well as an evolution
of how consumers eat," says Ann Hanson, author of "A Look into The Future of Eating" and director of product development at
NPD. "Many consumers are eating 'on the go' and there are more and more foods available to meet this need."
Eatings of salt and savory snack foods, which include snacks such as chips, crackers, popcorn, cheese, nut/seeds, pretzels
and curls/puffs, are expected to increase 16 percent over 2008 eatings. The NPD report forecasts sweet snacks and desserts,
which includes cookies, ice cream, candy/gum, cakes, pies, pudding/custard/tapioca, gelatin, brownies and fruit rolls/bits,
to increase 14 percent by 2018. Which age group is projected to snack the most? According to the NPD report, Generation Y or Millenials, who were born between
1976 and 1989, are forecasted to increase their annual eatings of salt and savory snacks from 2008 to 2018 by 44 percent,
and their annual eatings of sweet snacks and desserts are projected to increase 34 percent over 2008 eatings.
The report also forecasts that "better-for-you" foods, such as organic and light or low-calorie foods and beverages, will
be among the fastest-growing food trends over the next decade. Restaurant meals eaten at home and appetizers eaten as in-home
main meals are also expected to be among the fastest-growing food trends, according to the report.
For a copy of the NPD report, "A Look into The Future of Eating," visit http://www.npd.com/lps/future_of_eating/.
