If we weren’t before, we are now officially a nation of snackers.
Look around the world and you can see that the types of foods we eat and the times at which we eat them are strongly influenced not simply by hunger but also by cultural and social factors that vary from region to region and country to country. Traditions and religious habits, the working culture and levels of disposable income all contribute to shape what we consume and the number of times we eat each day.
But despite our differences in our snacking habits, Mondelez believes that there is a right way to eat in between meals. And to teach us that and its value in our nutrition, Mondelez International releases its first-ever State of Snacking™ report.
The report reveals the data gathered from a global consumer trends study which examined the role snacking in meeting their consumers’ evolving needs. These needs include feeling full despite the busy modern lifestyles, the growing desire for community connection, and a more holistic sense of well being.
Mr. Toff Rada, Mondelez CGA Country Manager
Mondelez points out how the study “reveals the rise of global snacking, underscored by regional parallels demonstrating how snacks are helping lead the future of food by delivering on the spectrum of needs that exists in our day-to-day lives.”
To make the State of Snacking report more efficient, Mondelez Internationl partnered with the consumer polling specialist The Harris Poll. Thousands of consumers across twelve countries were involved in the study to gather valuable data on snacking as a growing behavior worldwide.
In summary, 6 out of 10 adults or 59% of the participantssay they prefer to grab small bites throughout the day instead of getting the traditional full meals. Meanwhile, more of the younger consumers (7 out of 10 millenials or 70% of them) say they prefer snacks over meals. The full State of Snacking™ report is available at www.stateofsnacking.com.
Key findings from the 2019 State of Snacking report include:
- The study reveals that our relationship with food is fundamentally changing.
Snacks play a vital role in helping us meet our daily nutrition requirement most especially for us who are always busy and on the go. Of course, this demographic also includes the kids who stay at school whole day and who couldn’t get the full meal they should be eating.
But this study reveals that snacking affects more than just a person’s health. Participants in this survey said snacks also take effect in their emotional wellbeing.
Here are some of the relevant points of this discovery:
- In 8 out of 10 people, 87% says their choice of snacks is greatly influenced by convenience while 85% says they look more into the quality of the snack.
- 80% of consumers go for healthy balanced snacks rather than junks but indulgences still play an important role in daily snacking routines.
- 71% of the adults say grabbing snacks help them control their hunger and manage their calorie intake.
- 80% of adults say they recognize the need for balanced nutrition through healthy snacks but also through indulgent snacks, depending on the moment of need.
- 77% of consumers agree that there should be a time and place for eating healthy snacks and the same goes for indulgent snacks.
- 71% of the adults say snacks play and important role in having a healthy state of mind and 70% believes it has a role in their emotional wellbeing too like how it influences their physical wellbeing.
- Snacking goes beyond nutrition as it identifies culture and traditions too.
As I’ve mentioned earlier culture and tradition have huge impact in our choice of foods. The study reveals how snacking is a way for people to connect with their culture and express their sense of identity with their communities and families.
To detail this, the State of Snacking™ report says:
- 71% say snacking reminds them of home.
- 7 out of 10 adults or 70% of them say they make it a point to share their favorite childhood snacks with others.
- 8 out of 10 parents or 82% of them said they use snack time as a way to connect with their children.
- 76% of parents use snacks to pass cultural snacking rituals on to their children.
- Over 3 out of 4 parents (78%) say the snacks they choose for their children reflect who they are as a parent.
From these findings, Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International, said it is their goal to help people realize the right way of snacking nutritiously. He said in a statement:
“As the snacking market continues to grow globally, we’re living our purpose to empower people to snack right by constantly learning about the many different ways consumers around the world are snacking and evolving their relationship with food.”
He continued:
“We see that the average global adult now eats more snacks than meals on a given day, driven by a number of evolving demands largely associated with how we live today, including a growing need for convenience, yearning to share nostalgic and cultural experiences, expanded wellbeing preferences and the desire for choices that range from wholesome to indulgent.”
Mondelēz International commenced its first State of Snacking report a year after it announced a new business strategy and purpose. In the past year, the company showed how they progressed in carrying out their mission to provide the right snacks to their consumers and teach them the right way of making them as well as the right time to eat them. And to intensify their commitment to this mission, Mondelez expanded its product portfolio, adding a broader range of options and inspiring mindful snacking habits.
Following this, Van de Put continued:
“We embrace the fact that snacking habits around the world are as diverse as the consumers who enjoy them.
However people snack, they should not have to choose between snacking and eating right, or to worry about the impact their choices have on the world and their communities. That’s why we’re committed to empowering people to snack right.”
For more information: visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ and https://twitter.com/dirkvandeput.
