Posts Tagged ‘snacking’
What Is The Snack Food Industry Expo About?
The United States is the largest world market for snack foods, consuming roughly a third of the total supply. The American snack food industry consists of more than 1,200 companies operating 1,465 plants and using over $11 billion worth of ingredients each year. From 2001-2006, snacking increased by 1.5% and skyrocketed another 4% just in the last year. “Consumers are serious about these ‘meals’ being healthy. Simultaneously, manufacturers are serious about meeting consumer, watchdog and governmental demands to make snacks more nutritious, particularly those aimed at kids,” says Don Montuori from Packaged Facts market research company.
It’s surprising to some that snack food industries have skyrocketed during a time of recession, especially when snack food prices have increased anywhere from 4-11% over the last year, due to increased energy and commodity costs. However, consumers are flocking to Wal-Mart for their fair-priced trail mixes and coated snacks. For the most part, weight management and nutrition headlines are driving consumer interest and demand for healthy snack foods, with 62% of consumers saying they eat foods to prevent or manage health conditions and 42% are seeking snacks with health benefits. Yet industry leaders add that the more indulgent treats still comprise two-thirds of all sales.
Some companies in the snack food industry are taking extra steps to evolve their businesses. For instance, PepsiCo has taken steps this year to reduce their carbon footprint. “It doesn’t matter if you believe in global warming or not,” said Robert D. Schasel, director of energy conservation. “You still want to save money.” He added that PepsiCo has drastically reduced energy consumption, water usage and waste discharge. They now use a landfill that converts methane gas for use in boilers for seven of their locations, a solar powered plant in California which produces 75% of the energy needed to produce Sun Chips and using the water content of potatoes to power their boilers. At the end of the day, the food snacks company is saving money and also boosting their rapport with eco-conscious consumers.
Product value was on everyone’s minds at the snack food industry exposition this year. Quality, convenience, innovation, differentiation, entertainment and price are all competitive features that contribute to a product’s success. By contrast, failed products often fail to meet with consumer needs, lack a clear difference from the competition or suffer poor merchandising. In a nutshell, success in foods market promoting is largely the melding of art and science.
Healthy Snack Food Choices
The dreaded mid-day slump usually rears its ugly head between 2 and 4 pm each day. Your eyes sort of glaze over, your body begins to feel heavier and your eyeballs are burning with a headache. If only you could just close your eyes and take a 30-minute power-nap! Unfortunately, you’re at work and there’s far too much to do. To get you through the rest of the day, you need the right snack food to keep you motivated and eating healthy.
Healthy foods don’t always have to taste like Styrofoam. For a snack, bagels and bran muffins taste pretty darn good! A 200-calorie bagel will give you 11% of your daily recommended iron, which is particularly good for women who don’t always retain iron so well. Additionally, you’ll get solid doses of B vitamins, like niacin, riboflavin and thiamin. You may be tempted to load on the cream cheese, but there are delicious flavored skim ricottas that come in blueberry and strawberry that might be a healthier choice. A bran muffin delivers three grams of fiber and 1.8 mg of iron (10% of your daily value).
Fruit snacks are a good way to instantly feel rejuvenated and full of energy and spunk. A banana is a great source of potassium (11%), but also offers 35% of the daily value of Vitamin B6, and all for just 110 calories! Cantaloupe is another surprisingly healthy fruit, delivering 100% of your daily vitamin C needs in just one cup. For a good vegetable snack food, you can’t go wrong with broccoli, which delivers 68% of the daily value of vitamin C in just 1/2 cup, as well as vitamin A and as much calcium as a glass of milk. To jazz it up, try dipping it in no-fat nacho cheese or no-fat veggie dip! Another great vegetable is the carrot, which will satisfy your vitamin A needs for the whole day.
Instead of denying yourself, give in a little bit. When you crave sweets, try eating healthy but satisfying items like a banana dipped in Hershey’s chocolate syrup or an 80-calorie sundae made out of Jell-O sugar-free fudge pudding and a dollop of Cool Whip. If you’ve allowed the hunger to sneak up on you and feel as though you could just eat and eat forever, then snack on raw foods like broccoli: the fiber will make you feel full. Lastly, try to vary the textures and tastes for your snack food choices to keep your senses intrigued.
Taking A Look At Best Foods For Dieting
Snacking all day long isn’t as taboo as it used to be due to current research findings that continuous eating keeps our metabolism up, cravings down and the body in optimal condition. While fast foods seem to be the quickest snacks, a home-packed lunch full of healthy snack foods only takes ten minutes to prepare. Naturally, the best foods fill our body with much-needed nutrients, regulate body processes, fight diseases and help us reach our healthy weight all at once.
Grapefruit is one of the best foods for breakfast or lunch snacks, according to the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center and Scripps Clinic. Eating just half a grapefruit before each meal (or drinking a serving of grapefruit juice three times a day) helped dieters lose more than three pounds over 12 weeks. The phytochemicals in grapefruits reduced insulin levels and forced the body to convert calories into energy instead of fat, the center found. Also, adding a high-fiber cereal will cut cravings and deliver a healthy diet dose of nutrients that promote heart health, bone health and mental health.
For lunch, the best, healthy foods can be typical or slightly surprising. Salad is an obvious choice for eating healthy, as it is low in calories, not to mention high in vitamin C, E, folic acid, lycopene and disease-fighting carotenoids. In a Penn State study of 42 women, not surprisingly those who ate a big low-cal salad ate 12% less pasta afterward. Many diets also say that beans are excellent for weight loss, appetite suppression, keeping blood sugar stable and lowering cholesterol. Chicken noodle soup and tofu are other less-noted appetite suppressors. Hot red pepper is an item you may not routinely think of in weight loss but a Japanese study found that the ingredient capsaicin helps to suppress the appetite and increase metabolic rates.
Condiments aren’t usually considered the best foods but it’s important to factor-in cooking oils and accoutrements wisely when dieting. As you may have heard, extra virgin olive oil is preferable to butter, yet why? Olive oil as a bread dip, salad dressing base or for sautéing helps you burn calories and boost your metabolism, while delivering omega fatty acids. Vinegar helps regulate sugar levels, slows the passage of food from the stomach into the intestines and allows you to feel fuller longer. By adding “superfoods” to your daily agenda, you’ll be on your way to a healthy diet in no time.