Families with children and the younger generational cohorts are driving the market for alternative ingredient snacks. Sales of these snacks within salty snacks and crackers were robust in 2016, growing 5.2% in the year and outpacing overall sales growth in these two snack segments. Vegetable-based snacks (not including potato) has been the fastest growing category, followed by pulse-based snacks. Sales of alternative grain formulation snacks were flat, despite whole grain and multigrain snack formulations being the most popular types of alternative ingredient snacks with consumers. The use of specific vegetables in formulations and marketing such as sweet potato and spinach are popular, but far outnumbered by the number of products that simply call out the use of vegetables (or “veggies”) to promote a better-for-you snacking product. Generic “bean” formulations are also popular, but chickpea-based snacks are the fastest growing subcategory for pulse-based snacks.
Growth of the alternative ingredient snack market will remain moderate to strong over the next three years through 2019, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% to reach sales of $1,700 million. The increase in number of snackers looking for a healthier alternative will be a strong driver for the market, as will the continued interest in snacks offering flavor and texture variety, which alternative ingredient snacks offer.
What You'll Get in This Report
Snack Food Nutrition Trends: Pulses, Vegetables, and Grains in Salty Snacks and Crackers provides an in depth analysis of alternative ingredient snack products and sales through all channels in the U.S. market, focusing on the key categories of snacks driving the market and highlighting sales trends. The report covers sales of salty snacks and crackers containing pulses such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas, vegetables such as sweet potato, spinach, and kale, and notable grain ingredient formulations such as whole grain, multigrain, and ancient grains. All information and analyses in the report is highly accessible, presented in concise text and easy-to-read and practical charts, tables, and graphs.
Report Methodology
The information in Snack Food Nutrition Trends: Pulses, Vegetables, and Grains in Salty Snacks and Crackers was obtained from primary datasets including IRI's Infoscan from its multi-outlet (MULO)-tracked point of sale data, consumer survey data compiled by the National Consumer Survey and from Simmons' National Consumer Survey. Other primary research includes interviews with snack experts, on-site examination of retail and service provider venues, and Internet canvassing including websites and blogs. Secondary research includes information- and data-gathering from consumer business and trade publications, company profiles, and the author's extensive food & beverage research database and report collection.
'
- CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
- KEY MARKET DRIVERS
- THE ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACK MARKET & FORECAST
- Figure 1-1 Alternative Ingredient Market & Forecast, 2015–2019 (million $)
- Alternative Vegetables Fastest-Growing Category
- Chickpeas, Vegetable Blends Key Growth Subcategories
- THE MARKETERS
- Top Companies Specialize When Marketing Ingredients
- Key Marketers by Alternative Ingredient Category
- MARKETING TRENDS
- Mondelez Launches First New Snack Brand in Over a Decade
- DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
- GROCERY STORES TOP CHANNEL DESPITE YOUNGER SHOPPERS
- CHAPTER 2 ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACK TRENDS
- KEY POINTS
- SCOPE
- Figure 2-1 Alternate Ingredient Snack Coverage of the Salty Snack & Cracker Segments
- Definitions and Terms
- METHODOLOGY
- CHICKPEAS, VEGETABLE BLENDS KEY GROWTH SUBCATEGORIES
- FLAVOR/TEXTURE VARIETY KEY REASON FOR BUYING
- Figure 2-2 Reasons for Buying Alternative Ingredient Snacks, 2016 (percent)
- DRIVERS FOR ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACK SALES
- Increased Health Awareness in Snackers
- Figure 2-3 Response to “I Usually Only Snack on Healthy Foods,” 2006–2016 (percent)
- Young Families with Children
- Millennials and Gen X
- FORECAST
- CHAPTER 3 THE MARKET
- KEY POINTS
- SALTY SNACK SEGMENT LEADS ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACK SALES
- Pulse, Alternative Vegetable & Grain Snacks Outpace Market for Growth
- ALTERNATIVE VEGETABLES ARE FASTEST-GROWING CATEGORY
- Figure 3-1 Alternative Ingredient Salty Snacks & Crackers: By Ingredient Category, 2016 (percent)
- ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACK SKUS STRUGGLE TO BREAK $1M SALES BARRIER
- Figure 3-2 IRI MULO-Tracked Snack SKUs by Sales Bracket, 2015/2016 (percent)
- SKU Histogram Analysis by Alternative Ingredient Category
- Figure 3-3 MULO-Tracked Salty Snack SKUs by Sales Bracket, 2015/2016 (percent)
- Figure 3-4 IRI MULO-Tracked Cracker SKUs by Sales Bracket, 2015/2016 (percent)
- CHAPTER 4 THE MARKETERS
- KEY POINTS
- A NOTE ON RANKINGS
- TOP ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACK MARKETERS
- Top Companies Specialize When Marketing Ingredients
- TOP MARKETERS OF ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SALTY SNACKS
- TOP MARKETERS OF ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT CRACKERS
- KEY MARKETERS BY ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT CATEGORY
- Key Marketers of Vegetable-Based Salty Snacks & Crackers
- Key Marketers of Pulse-Based Salty Snacks & Crackers
- Key Marketers of Grain-Based Salty Snacks & Crackers
- CHAPTER 5 MARKETING & NEW PRODUCT TRENDS
- KEY POINTS
- MARKETING ALTERNATE INGREDIENT SNACKS
- Figure 5-1 Boulder Canyon Authentic Foods’ Lentil Carrot Quinoa Crisps
- Figure 5-2 Pulse Tortilla Chips from RW Garcia
- Mondelez Launches First New Snack Brand in Over a Decade
- Figure 5-3 Nabisco The Chickpea One Garlic & Herb GOOD THiNS from Mondelez
- BFY Brands Starts a Rebellion
- Figure 5-4 Our Little Rebellion Bean Crisps from BFY Holdings
- NEW PULSE-BASED SNACKS
- Figure 5-6 Brami’s Snacking Lupini Beans
- Figure 5-5 Ancient Series of Lentil Chips from The Daily Crave
- Puffing up Pulses
- Figure 5-7 Hippeas’ Vegan White Cheddar Organic Chickpea Puffs
- NEW ALTERNATIVE VEGETABLE-BASED SNACKS
- Figure 5-8 Veggie Pretzels from Good Health
- Figure 5-9 RW Garcia 3 Seed Gluten Free Crackers
- Seaweed & Kale Headline Many New Snacks
- Figure 5-10 Annie Chun’s Seaweed Crisps from CJ Foods
- Figure 5-11 Simply 7 Sea Salt Kale Chips
- Wild and Crazy New Veggies
- Figure 5-12 CannaPuffs with THC from Americanna
- Figure 5-13 Farmhouse Culture’s Dill Pickle Kraut Krisps
- NEW ALTERNATIVE GRAIN-BASED SNACKS
- Figure 5-14 Special K Sea Salt Original Multigrain Crackers with Quinoa from Kellogg
- Figure 5-15 Quinoa Puffs by I Heart Keenwah
- Figure 5-16 Kracklin’ Kamut from Kamut International
- CHAPTER 6 RETAIL & DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
- KEY POINTS
- WHOLE GRAIN & MULTIGRAIN SNACKS MOST POPULAR
- Figure 6-1 Types of Alternative Ingredient Snacks Eaten in Last 30 Days, 2016 (percent)
- ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACKS APPEAL TO YOUNGER CROWD
- CHILDREN IN HOUSEHOLD A MAJOR FACTOR
- Figure 6-2 Types of Alternative Ingredient Snacks Purchased in Last 30 Days: By Presence of Children in Household, 2016 (percent)
- MEN MORE LIKELY TO EAT ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACKS
- Figure 6-3 Types of Alternative Ingredient Snacks Purchased in Last 30 Days: By Gender, 2016 (percent)
- ETHNIC BACKGROUND LESS IMPORTANT FOR SNACK PREFERENCE
- GROCERY STORES STILL PRIMARY SOURCE FOR ALTERNATIVE INGREDIENT SNACKS
- Figure 6-4 Dollar Share of Alternative Ingredient Snack Sales by Retail Channel, 2016 (percent)
- Younger Generations Eschew Grocery, Prefer Convenience & Natural Channels
