Snacking preferred over traditional mealtime: Mondelēz report

Mondelēz International’s third annual State of Snacking report shows mindfulness and well-being considerations are increasingly important in snacking. The report also confirms that consumers prefer snacking or small meals as a regular eating behaviour over traditional mealtime for the third consecutive year (64 per cent today, up five per cent since inaugural findings reported in 2019). This trending preference for snacking spikes among younger generations, with 75 per cent of Gen Z replacing at least one meal each day with a snack.

The 2021 State of Snacking report, developed in partnership with the Harris Poll, demonstrates the expanded meaning of snacking in consumers’ lives. Key findings include:

• nearly 80 per cent of consumers globally say their definition of a snack has evolved over the last three years to include more or different types of foods, occasions for eating, or other elements;
• eighty-five per cent of consumers eat at least one snack per day for indulgence, 88 per cent say a balanced diet can include a little indulgence, and 74 per cent say they can’t imagine a world without chocolate;
• eighty-five per cent of consumers worldwide want to buy snacks from companies offsetting their environmental footprint; and
• more than half of people globally say social media has inspired them to try a new snack over the past year.

Further, consumers are seeking snacks delivering a range of benefits beyond physical well-being and nutrition needs. Snacking continues to serve as a vehicle for emotional well-being, with nearly eight in 10 global consumers agreeing that some snacks should be just for enjoyment or satisfaction, without worrying too much about nutrition (79 per cent). Mindfulness and values-centric consumption also are increasingly top of mind, as 86 per cent of consumers believe in the importance of control over their snacking choices through portion size options and ingredient transparency.

“Our State of Snacking report found that the definition of snacking is evolving among consumers globally, which is reshaping the meaning of snacking within people’s lives,” said Dirk Van de Put, chair and CEO of Mondelēz International. “Snacking is much more than a source of nutrition and indulgence; it also is a source of social connection and inspiration for broadened experiences. Notably, consumers continue to prefer snacking occasions throughout the day over traditional mealtime – as this growing behaviour, accelerated by the ongoing pandemic, increasingly becomes part of daily life. That’s why we are proud to continue offering the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way.”