The urgency behind the shift is measurable, the report says. According to DietaryGuidelines.gov, nearly nine in 10 Americans fall short of recommended fruit and vegetable intake. Research also estimates that about 95% of Americans do not consume recommended amounts of dietary fiber. That’s it. delivered more than a quarter billion fruit servings in 2025 and set a 2026 goal of 350 million fruit servings, continuing its mission to make real fruit more convenient, accessible, and easy to choose for all ages, it says.

For the first time, That’s it. surveyed three distinct audiences to reflect how snack decisions are made in households and communities: 1,000 general U.S. consumers, 1,000 parents of young children, and 135 nutrition professionals from NutritionFAM, the brand’s own community of registered dietitians and nutrition experts.

Across all three groups, fruits and vegetables remained the No. 1 snacking priority for the third year in a row, the report concludes. What changed most in 2026 was the volume and intensity of the fiber conversation. Fiber surged as the fastest-rising nutrition goal, and respondents consistently expressed a preference for fiber from fruits and vegetables, and protein from real, whole food sources, not supplements and powders.

Parents added a critical dimension to the 2026 snacking conversation: they want real nutrition, but they also need snacks their kids will actually eat, a challenge made harder by the continued dominance of ultra-processed options in everyday family routines, the report says. At the same time, respondents described a new 2026 snack standard: practical, satisfying nutrition that feels worth the expense. With budgets still stretched for many Americans, value is increasingly defined as “fullness per dollar,” especially as food costs remain elevated.

Dr. Lior Lewensztain, founder and CEO of That’s it., says: “Both the fruit and fiber gaps are still enormous. Our mission since 2012 has been to help close those gaps by making real fruit more convenient and accessible for all ages. What’s especially encouraging this year is that people are not just asking for more fiber, they are increasingly asking for fiber from fruits and vegetables, in formats simple enough to stick with. In 2026, people want snacks that deliver real nutrition, real satisfaction, and real value.”

The report also includes:

Fiber overtakes protein as the next hero nutrient

The market opportunity is significant: currently only 1-4% of retail snacks contain adequate fiber, leaving a massive gap for brands that can deliver produce-forward, fiber-rich options that consumers actually recognize and trust.

The "fiber + protein power couple" redefines snacking expectations

Consumers, parents, and nutrition professionals agree: fiber and protein are equally important in everyday snacks, with 20% of dietitians now prioritizing fiber over protein.

This shift signals a multi-billion opportunity for brands that can deliver balanced nutrition beyond the protein-only products that have dominated shelves for the past decade.

Ultra-processed foods face sharp consumer rejection

Concern about ultra-processed snacks jumped 15 percentage points in just one year (from 23% to 38% of consumers), creating urgent demand for minimally processed alternatives.

With over 73% of the U.S. food supply classified as ultra-processed, brands offering real, whole-food ingredients are positioned to capture a rapidly growing market segment.

The toddler aisle crisis creates premium growth opportunity

Nearly 70% of kids' calories come from ultra-processed foods, and 60% of baby/toddler products fail WHO nutrition guidelines, yet parents are seeking kid-approved taste with real nutrition.

This tension reveals a high-value market opportunity for brands that can deliver fiber-rich, allergen-friendly, no-artificial-dye snacks that children will actually eat.

Artificial additives become deal-breakers, not trade-offs

40% of consumers are actively avoiding artificial dyes and colors (up significantly from prior years), and one in five dietitians no longer recommend products containing them.

As major brands reformulate ahead of regulatory pressure, early movers in the clean-label space are positioned to capture market share from legacy products still dependent on synthetic additives.

"Fullness per dollar" replaces "price per ounce" as value metric

In a high-inflation environment where food prices continue rising 2-3% annually, consumers are redefining value around satiety and nutrition density rather than lowest shelf price.

Fiber-rich snacks that keep people satisfied longer represent a growth opportunity in the premium-but-practical segment, where shoppers are willing to pay more per ounce for products that reduce overall food spending.

Fruits and vegetables dominate preferred fiber sources across all groups

When asked to rank fiber sources, consumers, parents, and nutrition professionals all placed "fiber from fruits and vegetables" as their #1 preference over fortified fibers, gums, and supplements.

This consumer preference creates a clear product development roadmap: the most trusted and marketable fiber innovations will come from recognizable whole foods, not laboratory-created functional ingredients.

Front-of-package transparency becomes non-negotiable

As the FDA proposes new front-of-pack labeling requirements highlighting added sugars and nutrients, consumers increasingly use simple ingredients and clear fiber/protein callouts as shortcuts for product quality. 

Brands with nothing to hide, and everything to showcase, have a first-mover advantage as label literacy rises and marketing claims face growing skepticism.

Related: That's it. launches Organic Fruit Crunchables