While taste will remain a dominant factor for all food products, health, wellness and the nutritional value of the product is growing in importance. Several studies point to the fact that consumers are looking to achieve better overall wellness by selecting foods and ingredients that provide a functional health benefit. The NPD Group has noted that 56 percent of consumers want more protein in their diet, and 51 percent stated they are interested in incorporating more dietary fiber into their diet. According to the 2019 IFIC “Food and Health” survey, fiber, whole grains and protein from plant-based sources top the list of healthy foods.
This opens the door to potentially incorporating these nutritional ingredients in more snack and bakery products to create newly permissible, incrementally healthier—yet still indulgent—products.