Once the wheelhouse of fat, salt and sugar, snacks used to be an indulgent treat between meals. However, in today’s grab-and-go culture, consumers are reaching for healthy, functional options throughout the day in an effort to keep their health goals on track.

According to a recent survey of U.S. adults from Chicago, IL-based market research firm Lab42, 86% of people who self-identify as “healthy snackers” said they snack to help lose or maintain their weight. The most decisive factors in choosing a healthy snack were taste (66%), low in sugar (37%), high in protein (35%), low in calories (33%) and low in fat (30%). Interestingly, women said taste was much more important than men, with 74% calling it “very important” compared to 58% of men.

The top five healthy snacks eaten in the past month among the healthy snackers surveyed included: fresh fruit (90%), nuts (75%), granola bars (62%), Greek yogurt (60%) and carrot/raw veggie dippers (58%). Men and women reported similar consumption patterns for the first three snacking options. However, women are significantly more likely than men to have eaten Greek yogurt (66% vs. 54%) and veggie dippers (67% vs. 48%). Of the product categories outside of the top five, many are more likely to be consumed by women, including vegetable chips, rice cakes, baked puffs and multi-grain crackers.

Consumers expressed a willingness to pay more for snacks they perceived as healthier, with the most popular being “all-natural” snacks (87%), followed by organic (83%). A smaller, yet still significant, amount was willing to pay for prepared snacks like pre-cut carrot sticks, and pre-portioned snacks such as 100-calorie packs (61% and 55%, respectively).

A Spice of Variety
With some research indicating potential health benefits, more and more U.S. consumers eat smaller portions of food more frequently throughout the day. Meanwhile, many adults are making it a priority to ensure that the foods they and their kids eat offer nutritional benefits.

These consumer trends are converging to produce a new generation of snackers attracted by the “health halo” around healthy-ingredient snacks, creating the conditions for a vibrant market, according to a report from Rockville, MD-based market researcher Packaged Facts, titled “Healthy-Ingredient Snacks in the U.S.” Both marketers and consumers seem to be on a continuous quest for the next, best product offering.

“The market is characterized by a continuous flow of new products based on inventive formats, shapes and ingredients, as well as exotic fruits and vegetables, bold contrasts of sweet and salty, and novel and bold amalgamations of spices and heat from around the world,” according to David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts.

According to New Nutrition Business, which predicted healthy snacking will be a major trend in 2014, weight management is no longer a special category of foods. Consumers now think about weight as part of their everyday food choices and as a way of maintaining wellness. Additionally, worldwide interest in products delivering “slow release” or “sustained” energy has increased sharply, thanks to the global success of Belvita breakfast biscuits.

The bar/snack market spans the spectrum of consumers demographically, according to Kathy Lund, vice president of business development and marketing, AIDP Inc., City of Industry, CA. “The wide variety of bars available on the market offer something for anyone, any time of day, for needs ranging from weight loss to weight gain, satiety, muscle improvement, sports and meal replacements. No other food category is as broad as the bar/snack category.”

Demand for snacks is driven by rising household disposable income, convenience, the growing variety of choices and manufacturers offering more “guilt-free,” healthy options, according to Michael Bush, senior vice president, Ganeden Biotech, Cleveland, OH. “Consumers now are more focused on deriving health benefits from foods and beverages. At the same time, snacking is increasingly seen as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, and is less associated with the empty calories and ‘treats’ of our youth.”

Mr. Bush went on to say that growth for probiotics has been strong in functional foods and beverages, specifically for products marketed to children, athletes, moms and active seniors. “Consumers are decreasingly interested in taking another pill; they want to receive the benefits of probiotics while consuming something they already love, and without having to adjust their daily routine.”

Protein Profits
Offering versatility and the ability to meet a wide range of benefits, protein has been one of the strongest trends in the nutrition bar/snack market. “Protein’s versatility makes it the ideal ingredient for a wide variety of product formulations, from yogurt to chips to bars and cookies,” said AIDP’s Ms. Lund.

For example, Innova Market Insights, The Netherlands, recently noted that more than 10% of yogurt products launched globally in the 12 months to the end of September 2013 made protein claims, although this was skewed by the U.S. where more than one-third of introductions were marketed with this positioning.

“The rise of Greek and Greek-style strained yogurts, which are inherently higher in protein than standard lines, has paved the way for the positioning of yogurts on a high-protein platform,” according to Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova. “Although most of these are also ‘probiotic,’ once also a key marketing positioning, problems over health claims in this area have caused companies to divert attention away from digestive health in many instances; often toward nutrient content. This has tended to lead to a focus on the higher protein content of Greek-style products, alongside the traditional focus on their creamy and indulgent image.”

With a segment of consumers who experience an adverse reaction to animal proteins, there has been an emergence of plant-based proteins that offer an allergen–free solution. “Globally, non-dairy, non-soy proteins grew 87% from 2011-2012,” Ms. Lund noted. “In addition, plant-based proteins are perceived as a more healthful choice, which complements the bar/snack trends.”

AIDP’s Gabiotein sprouted brown rice protein ingredient was designed to meet growing demand for high quality plant-based protein bars, and to meet demand from people with food sensitivities. “Current health advocates are promoting increased protein consumption for all age groups,” said Ms. Lund. “Manufacturers are scrambling to develop new protein-based bars, looking for the ‘new new’ thing in protein ingredients, to meet not only these needs but also for the huge audience with food sensitivities.”

Russ Hazen, PhD, raw materials and innovations specialist at DSM’s Fortitech Premixes, also noted the emergence of novel protein options. “The standard whey and soy protein products remain strong, but new non-allergenic vegetable and grain sources including rice, pea, chia and quinoa are all becoming more mainstream options, and this trend is likely to continue.”

Pea protein has been gaining popularity due to its natural hexane-free process, non-allergen status, clean taste and non-GMO position, according to Kyle Gibson, human nutrition technical sales, Roquette America, Inc., Geneva, IL, who agreed that consumers of healthy snacks and bars are demanding products that provide high amounts of protein, as well as fiber.

“Fibers (soluble/insoluble) and proteins are the front runners in this market due to the benefits they have in reducing caloric intake, providing improved overall nutrition, and contributing to the fight against obesity by decreasing the glycemic response in the body. The low GI response allows insulin levels to stay low while maintaining longer periods of consumer satiety and energy without the need for extra snacking.”

Simple & Clean Solutions
Less is more with respect to nutrition bar formulations today, according to Bob Verdi, PhD, business director, Health and Wellness, Virginia Dare, Brooklyn, NY. “This simplicity involves both the number of ingredients used in the bar, and also the types of ingredients used. There are several new bar introductions that contain only four or five ingredients. Also, these tend to be minimally processed ingredients that consumers can understand. Nuts, fruits and minimally processed natural sweeteners like brown rice syrup are very common ingredients to the new breed of nutrition bars. Based on our consumer research we believe Millennials are driving the interest in these products.”

Virginia Dare’s research also indicated functional ingredients can be polarizing. “We believe drawing attention to functional ingredients will alienate Millennials,” said Mr. Verdi. “Nutrition bars targeting Millennials need a wholesome nutrition positioning.”

There are some exceptions, he added. For instance, in the sports nutrition market, Millennial consumers are seeking specific ingredients, such as branched chain amino acids, “regardless if they are synthetically produced or supplied by natural sources.”

Baby Boomers are much more accepting of specific functional ingredients, even if they are synthetically produced, according to Mr. Verdi. “Baby Boomers expressed strong interest in fiber, calcium, vitamin D and antioxidants.”

Teresa Yazbek, vice president, Americas, Nexira, agreed that clean-label trends in the nutrition bar and snacks market are resonating with consumers.

“For consumers, ‘clean label’ means a product with ingredients that are easy to recognize and understand,” she said. “A simple and short ingredients list is preferred—the simpler the better for today’s consumers. There’s also a preference for fresh and natural ingredients. ‘Chemical sounding’ and unpronounceable ingredients are disliked.”

The company’s Fibregum, a sustainably sourced acacia gum, offers manufacturers a natural ingredient with multifunctional properties suitable for a wide range of food applications.

Fibregum’s nutritional properties are supported by more than 80 in vitro and in vivo clinical studies. As a gut regulator, it helps improve healthy digestive balance, enhances water and electrolyte absorption, reduces glycemic impact and has beneficial properties in oral care.

In terms of simple snacks, it doesn’t get much easier than a handful of nuts. Globally, nuts are set to account for a 72% value share of health and wellness sweet and savory snacks in 2013, according to Euromonitor International. Impressively, naturally healthy nuts have maintained global value growth close to 6% annually over 2012 and 2013. In North America, growth exceeded $700 million during this period. As research promoting the health benefits of nuts increases, they are positioned to remain at the forefront of the growing trend for healthier snacking.

Recently, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested a link between eating nuts and lower risk of heart disease and cancer.

From a pre-mix formulation request point of view, Fortitech’s Mr. Hazen said he continues to see condition-specific products within the bar category. “Those that fall within the sports nutrition arena continue to utilize protein in its many market forms for recovery. As for those products that promote endurance, the perennial favorites of taurine and caffeine, while still there, are in many cases being replaced with B vitamins.”

In addition to various protein sources, Mr. Hazen noted strength in products targeting heart health, with ingredients such as magnesium, omega-3s, phytosterols, resveratrol and EGCG as top ingredients.

“Within the more encompassing area of ‘healthy aging,’ Boomers will continue to be the largest consumer demographic for the foreseeable future,” he said, “and they are embracing the changes their bodies face as they age. These include the areas of anti-aging, as well as bone/joint health, blood-sugar management, heart health and immunity, to name a few.”

Formulation Challenges
When developing nutrition bars with functional ingredients, formulators typically face taste challenges, noted Virginia Dare’s Mr. Verdi. “Virginia Dare has a long history working to mask the undesirable flavors associated with functional ingredients. Some of the ingredients being used in the newer wholesome bars positioned for Millennials contain natural high intensity sweeteners, such as stevia, that also benefit from addition of masking flavors to improve the sweetness profile.”

Fortitech’s Mr. Hazen agreed that sugar and calorie reduction continue to drive product development. “There have been a variety of new stevia based products recently released, and monk fruit also continues to be a strong player. As ingredient innovators continue to refine the flavor profiles and production processes for these materials, current barriers like cost and flavor impact will continue to erode and the number of successful commercial launches involving these materials will continue to climb.”

Formulators must consider taste, interaction with fellow ingredients, supply, cost, labeling, consumer perception and efficacy, according to AIDP’s Ms. Lund. “Plant-based proteins, such as sprouted brown rice, are very adaptable, and provide a complete protein source. In addition, sprouted brown rice protein is allergen free with a pleasant taste profile.”

Roquette’s Mr. Gibson said one of the biggest challenges manufacturers face is delivering all the benefits of added protein and fiber while still creating a product that tastes good. “Once this hurdle is achieved there are still formulation opportunities in creating products that deliver on texture as well. The incorporation of fibers will typically have a negative effect on such things as leavening, cell structure development and moistness of a product. Protein faces some of the same challenges.”

The education of consumers on the benefits of fibers and proteins has been and will continue to be a huge driver in the demand for manufacturers to deliver these benefits in bar and snack products, he added.

In working with probiotics, companies are challenged to find a science-backed strain that is also resilient enough to survive the manufacturing processes involved in food production, according to Ganeden’s Mr. Bush, who said the composition of GanedenBC30 allows it to survive manufacturing processes, shelf life, stomach acids and intestinal bile. This allows for incorporation into a variety of foods and beverages, ranging from frozen yogurt and snack bars to tea, nut mixes and snacks.

“The utility of GanedenBC30 can be linked to its naturally occurring layer of organic material (spore) that protects the genetic core of the bacteria. Other probiotics, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are unable to form this protective layer, making them more vulnerable to manufacturing conditions. Plus, the efficacy of GanedenBC30 is backed by 17 published studies and FDA Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status.”

Across the board, consumers are busier than ever and are substituting traditional meals with more snacking occasions. “Nutrition bars satisfy the consumer need created by the intersection of these two trends,” said Mr. Verdi. “We are likely to continue to see growth in nutrition bars and healthy snacks for several years.”