Baked goods and snacks made with fruits, nuts and chocolate get a second look from consumers, as food manufacturers continue to introduce better-for-you products and tout these ingredients’ nutritional benefits.
As consumers’ interest in healthy eating continues to grow, so does their search for flavorful, prepared foods—including baked goods and snacks—with fewer calories and less salt, processed sugar and artificial ingredients. Products made with nutritious ingredients that have been around forever, such as fruit, nuts and chocolate, are more likely to find their way into the shopping carts of these concerned consumers. And such product ingredients will continue to do so, as food producers, bakers and snack makers work together to educate Americans about the nutritional benefits of these enduring ingredients and develop new products that incorporate them.
Take blueberries, for instance. Many consumers are just beginning to discover that fresh blueberries contain naturally occurring antioxidants that can help protect the human body from the damaging effects of free radicals and chronic diseases associated with aging. The blue superfruits are low in calories, carbohydrates and cholesterol; they’re virtually fat-free; and they’re a good source of fiber, vitamin C and manganese.