4 Data Points that Will Change the Way You See Millennial Snack Habits

millennial snack habits

Close your eyes and picture a great mid-day “snack.” What did you think of? An apple? Banana muffin? A fresh-baked cookie?

If you’re a card-carrying millennial, your answer might be “nothing remotely close to any of the above options.”

Millennials love their snacks, but their preferences are much different from baby boomers or Generation Xers. In fact, millennial snack habits have started to shape the new future of snacks, changing the very definition of the concept.

Nontraditional snacks like yogurt, vegetables and beverages are more likely to be found in millennial sack lunches. These options aren’t just different, they’re good for you! Instead of grabbing a candy bar to go, millennials are often reaching for items on the lower levels of the food pyramid.

With this interest in health comes a certain level of diligence in researching brands. Instead of picking up a box of granola bars and tossing them in the shopping cart, millennial snack shoppers are studying packaging, pouring over nutrition labels and see food choices as big decisions.

1) Ingredients matter

Over 60 percent of millennials feel that snacks with fewer ingredients on the nutrition label are better for their health and nearly 80 percent indicate there is a correlation between recognizing each ingredient and putting trust in the brand (Orlando, 2017).

2) Origins matter

Additionally, 68 percent of millennials feel it is important for them to know where the ingredients originate. Was their apple grown in a local orchard, or was it mass-produced on a factory farm?

3) Setting an example matters

Older millennials often have children and are seeking to set a good example with healthy eating patterns. One study found that 55 percent of millennial moms were confident that their children would choose a healthy snack over a non-healthy option if given the chance.

4) Mom’s opinion matters

While these moms remain hopeful, the reality is that children just don’t generally love carrot sticks as much as they love cupcakes. This presents the challenge of finding healthy snacks that both mom and child will eat. A reported 82 percent of millennial parents had purchased a new type of healthy snack within the last month with the hope their child would happily eat it.

Bottom line, health is the buzzword when it comes to hot topic millennial snacks. Incorporating aspects of health into your marketing mix, from your product to your packaging, can boost popularity among this demographic.

Communicating with your audience both in-store and online is key, and having a strong brand has never been more important. Make sure to clearly show the health benefits of your product on every available platform. And use digital resources to connect directly with your audience outside of the shopping environment to show them the benefits of purchasing your product over another.

These findings represent just a fraction of the data we’ve found on millennial snack trends. For the full report, click the button below to download your free copy of “How To: Millennial Snack Marketing.”

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