The baked snacks combine organic ingredients and whole grains in a portable form.

The bakery brand’s PB&Js combine whole-grain oats and either grape or strawberry flavors.

As the whole and ancient grain wave continues to surge, chefs and product developers alike are pushing the envelope on the next evolution of breakfast, baked goods, appetizers and snacks.

The versatile puffed and extruded snack segment is answering the call of consumers who want to try different flavor profiles and combinations. On the traditional side, products such as Cheetos continue to prosper in the marketplace. In fact, total annual sales for cheese snacks just reached $2.1 billion. Through a balance of tradition and forward-thinking innovation, this segment represents the best of both worlds.

Over time, select trends across food emerge, rise to prominence and then grow fully intertwined into the fabric of the industry itself. Such is the case with “better-for-you,” a term that has grown to encompass any product that has some level of nutritional improvement over a “traditional” version of the very same product.

On a recent supermarket trip in my suburban Chicago neighborhood, I grabbed a loaf of Butternut bread (a classic Chicago brand dating back to 1893—and one that my kids love) and noticed a QR code on the bag next to the message of, “Be Informed: Go to WhyEatBread.com.”