Chips go ‘better-for-you’
An undeniably emerging macrotrend today is better-for-you snacking. Snack producers—as well as bakers operating within snack-suited segments—take various routes to this nutritionally improved territory. It can come via lower-than-typical levels of fat or sodium. It can come via simplified ingredient statements. It can come through additional, nutrition-forward ingredients added to the mix. And product marketing can also play a strong role, with clear “healthy snack” messages on product packaging and in marketing materials. (Watch for our December 2015 issue, where we will dig full-force into better-for-you chips via our Market Trends analysis.)
This prevailing pattern is one of the reasons why I reached out to better-for-you chip and cracker maker R.W. Garcia earlier this year to tour its new Las Vegas factory (see “Naturally better at R.W. Garcia” for my feature on the company, including a slideshow of products and factory shots and a video).
Another company that hits on several of these better-for-you marks is Fresh Gourmet. The manufacturer made its name through salad accents like croutons, and nut and fruit toppings. It has also branched into dedicated snacking territory via its line of tortilla chips, dubbed The Better Chip, available in varieties like Corn, Jalapeño, Spinach & Kale, Beet and Chipotle. The whole-grain chips gain distinction from the use of real vegetables in the chip substrate, with real corn kernels, jalapeños, bits of spinach and kale, beets, and chipotle chiles visible in each chip.
The chips have a pleasantly toothsome crunch, with earthy, grain-rich flavor, amped up a notch via the vegetables in the mix. They stand alone nicely, without any dip (of course, as tortilla chips they are built for dip, and each bag provides complementary pairings on the back—and each variety also has distinct messaging on side panels, with the Spinach & Kale variety, for instance, providing messages like “Farm Fresh for Better Flavor” and “The spinach and kale we dice and blend into each chip go from farm to chip within a week”).
As a confirmed chilehead, I was intrigued by the Chipotle variety, and wasn’t disappointed. It packs a nicely spicy punch with a slightly smoky finish that lingers. (On-bag messaging for that one includes “Made for Heat Lovers” and that the “chipotles are crushed and cooked into each chip for shockingly bold flavor.”) Ingredient statements are straightforward and simple.
Shoppers will continue to gravitate toward products like these as they seek diversity in their snacks—particularly if they can feel a little better about indulging in them from time to time.
