The global market for savory snacks is expected to grow from $94.5 billion in 2015 to $138.2 billion by 2020.[1] Snacks make up 11 percent of meal occasions in the U.S., according to Nielsen research, and consumers are not just reaching for potato chips and cookies.[2] Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about healthy eating and what goes into their food; 54 percent say they are trying to eat as many vegetables as possible. Shoppers in Europe are similarly concerned about the healthfulness of their snacks. Two-thirds of Europeans enjoy savory snacks like chips and nuts at least once a week, and 11 percent eat them several times a day. More than one-third of European survey participants care more about the presence of natural ingredients in their food than they do about fat content or calorie count, or even the presence of organic ingredients.
As buyers are more attuned to healthful ingredients, the definition of what foods fall in the snack category is changing. The recent emergence of meat bars as a snack category is one illustration of this trend. Wild Zora is a growing brand producing Meat & Veggie Bars in flavors such as Mediterranean Lamb with Spinach, Rosemary and Turmeric. Wilde Boldr offers slow-roasted meat bars made beef, turkey, and chicken. The brand recently introduced a line of Chicken Chips, described as “the ultimate portable protein.”