Salty snack sales sweeten with inclusion of healthier, alternative ingredients
The U.S. snack food industry is arguably stronger than ever. Sales of salty favorites—including potato chips, pretzels and popcorn—and portable meat products—such as jerky—have mostly displayed growth potential or at least remained steady over the past five years. The snack industry has likewise benefitted from the influx of healthier formulations that better fit the nutrition-centered lifestyles of many of today’s consumers.
This push towards healthier snacks has created a thriving market for alternative ingredient snacks made using pulses and alternative vegetables and grains such as chickpeas, sweet potatoes, kale, and spinach, among other novel elements. Sales of alternative ingredients snacks in 2017 are forecast to rise to $1.2 billion, according to market research firm Packaged Facts in the brand new report Snack Food Nutrition Trends: Pulses, Vegetables, and Grains in Salty Snacks and Crackers.