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PepsiCo, Hershey, Mondelez Say Mindful Snacking on Trend as Consumers Prioritize Health & Wellness

Liz Dominguez
Snacks
One of the biggest areas of opportunity is portion control, according to PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta.

Mindful snacking is on trend. While it’s not necessarily driven by the increasing usage of GLP-1 medications, CPGs are keeping an eye on both of these consumer behaviors and catering to the wellness-aware crowd.

According to Innova Market Insights, 52% of North American consumers have become more aware of their mindful snacking habits and 51% believe snacking boosts their emotional well-being. Mondelez’s State of Snacking report from last year reported that consumers rely on snacks for perceived benefits such as boosting energy (75%), improving mood (74%), and aligning with fitness goals (70%).

Low-Sugar, Protein-Rich 

PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said in a recent call with investors that there’s been a multi-year evolution of the consumer in the U.S. — an awareness to the food and drinks they consume. He’s cited shifts in behavior as well as in social conversations, likely driven by the discourse around obesity drugs. 

While he reported very little impact in the business and its categories directly related to GLP-1 usage, there is a subset of consumers looking for more functionality — more protein and whole grain in their snacks, more plant-based options, he said. Kroger also predicted that 2025 would bring a protein renaissance as consumers look to maintain energy levels throughout the day and support overall health. 

One of the biggest areas of opportunity is portion control, said Laguarta, leaving room for CPGs to stay in their categories with smaller sizes of consumer favorites or by cutting down on sodium, fat, sugar, and artificial ingredients.

Also read: Unilever Perfects Micro-Format Ice Cream

“If you think about SunChips and how SunChips is innovating with whole grain and now legumes, if you think about Stacy's with whole grain, if you think about Quaker with protein snacks, if you think about popping and baking and better frying, lower fat frying options that we're putting on in front of consumers — those are all tools in our portfolio enabled by very capable R&D that we will continue to expand,” said Laguarta.

The company is also investing in the mini-meals category as a result, targeting consumers who are looking for a 200-calorie, 300-calorie solution “that takes them over for the next few hours into their next job or whatever they're trying to accomplish.”

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Healthy Snacking Ahead

Hershey’s CEO Michele Buck said in an earnings call this week that she’s seen a continuation toward health and wellness, as well as growth in the company's zero sugar line of products and protein offerings — two areas the company will continue to expand.

For Mondelez, which earns 80% of its snack revenue from mindful portion snacks, there will be a continued focus on packaging individually wrapped, mindful portion-controlled serving sizes as the industry watches this continued shift.

The company has been especially focused on implementing a product development approach that maintains a pulse on ongoing and emerging shopper trends to “deliver more excitement through new flavors or new pack formats that better fit consumers' lifestyles," according to Lori Herman, consumer insights lead, who shared details during an MMR Research virtual event.

Healthy might be in focus, but CEO Dirk Van De Put said indulgent snacking is growing just as fast. And everyone is taking a break for the snack-heavy “holiday” that is the Super Bowl. 

People on a weight-loss journey are treating the Super Bowl as the ultimate “cheat day,” according to Upside, which analyzed survey responses about food purchases alongside grocery transaction data. It found that people with weight-loss goals are more likely to indulge in chips and salsa, and GLP-1 users are more likely to be eating pizza and wings.

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