Consumers’ tastes for savory and sweet snacks is determined by the time of day, and better-for-you snack consumption is predicated more by place, according to research by The NPD Group.
When looking at the snack-oriented food groups, the day starts healthy with better-for-you snacks, which are typically consumed throughout the day depending on location, savory picks up mid-day, and in the evening there is a desire for sweet, according to NPD’s Snacking in America report.
The report finds a third of snack/appetizer items consumed for or instead of lunch or dinner are from the savory snack category.
Over a third of snacks consumed after dinner are sweet, and over 40% of snacks carried from home and eaten at school, work, in the car, or at other locations are better-for-you.
Not only does time of day and place dictate snack food preferences, but so do the seasons.
Sweet snack consumption spikes in November — eating Halloween treats.
Better-for-you snacking decreases in November and December, and savory snacking hits its peak in December and January.
