Snacking Gets Naturally Healthier

Snacks are continuing to become more health conscious and vegetable-centric, as evidenced by new offerings at the recent Sweets and Snacks Expo like plantain dippers, mushroom chips and roasted seaweed snacks, reports Food Business News.

Ingredient transparency is also invading the snack industry. Where trans fats and artificial flavors once flourished, now easily identified ingredients like 100 percent virgin coconut oil and pink Himalayan salt are making inroads in packaged popcorn and other salty snacks. Chickpeas have grown beyond hummus spreads to serve as the basis for crunchy snacks, where their protein content is a plus. New product launches include chickpeas in extruded and vegetable mixed chip versions, along with single-serve stand-up pouches of whole, roasted and seasoned chickpeas.

Snack product developers are also finding new ways to use nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are surging in popularity; SuperSeedz promotes its brand as organic, dry-roasted in small batches and available in savory and sweet flavors. “Bark” snacks are thin cookies or chocolate pieces studded with nuts and seeds, marketed as healthful indulgences.

In line with the sweet heat trend that has proliferated in the restaurant appetizer category, snack foods are combining natural sweeteners like honey, fruit or maple with wasabi, Sriracha and other spicy ingredients. Food Business News is even calling spicy “the new sour” in candy flavors, such as curry-chocolate and spiced fruit chews.

Grocerant-Ready Ideas:

• House-roasted and flavored nuts and seeds at the salad bar
• Store-made, oven-roasted veggie chips, packed in single-serve portions
• More sweet heat flavors in condiments, seasonings and salad dressings