Better-For-You

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The current state of snacks and bakery in foodservice reflects the "have your cake and eat it, too" polarity of today's consumers. We dine out to treat ourselves, yet we still have a nagging sense of responsibility to improved health and wellness.

Despite better-for-you and health trends transforming essentially every food and beverage category, the indulgent bakery snack market, including snack cakes, pastries, doughnuts, and muffins, is generally faring well.

Bakery snacks saw a relatively flat year per IRI, Chicago, with 0.16 percent growth to $3.4 billion. Grupo Bimbo far outperformed the category average, though, with growth of 14.48 percent to $249.4 million.

Chocolate is one of the most popular and widely consumed products. Everyone likes chocolate. On average people consume 12.57 pounds of chocolate per year. And snacks and baked goods provide many opportunities for people to enjoy chocolate.

By now, is there anything we don't know about Generation Z? Born from 1996 through 2014, these 4- to 23-year-olds learn with their eyes and share appealing images via social media. They're environmentally aware and socially conscious. Most embrace cultural diversity.

According to IBISWorld, tortilla production in the U.S. has grown 3 percent in the past five years thanks to the fact that tortillas, especially ones boosted with ingredients like spinach and whole wheat, are perceived to be healthier than bread during a time when consumers value nutrition.

For Bud Keith, health and wellness was a way of life. He was, after all, a nutritionist, but his passion went well beyond a degree. In the 1960s, he established a juice bar and gym in Mission Beach, an iconic ocean-side neighborhood in San Diego.

Trends in snack mixes and nuts are constantly changing, but many also remain the same, as consumers are constantly searching for better-for-you snacks and the next "big thing."

Artisan baking goes hand-in-hand with high-quality ingredients. And as more artisan baking emerges in the market, ancient grains and heirloom wheats can be important differentiators.