Lately, when I’m interviewing bakers and snack manufacturers for our cover stories, I often hear the same message running through their dialogues: People today want a small indulgence. They want to snack on something that’s satisfying and a little decadent perhaps, but it should also be healthful. But in these tough economic times, people also don’t want to splurge too much or risk all the work they’ve put into maintaining their healthy diet.
I must have heard this “healthy indulgence” theme the entire year. In fact, for this issue, I headed to Nonni’s Foods LLC, Oak Brook, Terrace, Ill., which makes the popular Nonni’s Biscotti, variety of Italian cookies, which now are available in some 40 stock-keeping units. That may not sound like very much to some bakers and snack companies, but we’re talking biscotti here. It’s a pretty sizable line.