HEALTHY SNACKING
There is a global trend toward healthy snacking despite noting that people are eating less at home, reveals the latest research from Kantar through its division specializing in shopper behavior. While the global number of eating at-home occasions has decreased by 36 million between 2014 and 2018—a 2 percent decline in breakfast, lunch and dinner occasions—Kantar says that there has been a 0.5 percent rise in snacking moments with fresh fruits as consumers’ snack of choice.
These findings are based on Kantar’s “Eat, Drink & Be Healthy: How AtHome consumption Is Changing” report, which analyzed the latest findings about how at-home food and drink consumption is changing across the world. From 2014 to 2018, Kantar gathered data across eight countries around the world, namely the UK, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, China, France, Brazil, and the US.
“While there are local market traditions and nuances, our research reveals that there are some notable trends that are impacting at-home consumption of food and beverages around the world,” says
Kantar director. “Consumers’ eating habits are evolving and marketers within the food and beverage space need to be aware of these changing behaviors towards healthier alternatives in order to remain relevant to their target markets.”
Lourdes Deocareza, The Economics of Snacking
Kantar finds that snacking accounts for close to one in every four at-home eating occasions. Afternoon and after dinner are the most frequent snacking times, while morning snacking is the fastest growing at-home eating occasion.
“In the Philippines, we are noticing that Filipino consumers are now choosing healthier alternatives when it comes to their food,” Deocareza adds. “This change has gradually been incorporated into some categories via simple propositions like less sugar, less fat or less salt. We expect that this desire of consumers for healthier lifestyles and well-being will make significant changes to their shopping basket in the near future.”
The Rise of Flexitarianism
With a renewed focus on nutrition and healthy eating alongside the rise of flexitarianism—a semivegetarian diet where plant-based food consumption is increased and meat-eating reduced but not eliminated—comes change in the way food is being prepared at home. According to Kantar, consumers in the countries covered by this report are spending less time preparing meals, resulting to simplified menus and a decrease in the number of courses that make-up at-home eating occasions by 6 percent. Despite France, Spain, and China still having several courses during meal time, this trend is seen across all other markets included in the study.
Moreover, Kantar says that dessert is the course that has suffered the greatest decline, presenting a real challenge for brands to reshape their portfolio to position their products within the snacking categories. In France, Spain and the UK, there are 66 million fewer dessert occasions today than there were in 2014.
The Leverage on Beverage
Over the last few years, consumers are now seeking healthier beverage alternatives, including sugar-free, plantbased, and homemade variants.
The drive towards healthier options has also led to a dramatic rise in the water category. Water consumption, both bottled and tap, increased in all eight markets. Most notably, tap water is becoming the hydration beverage of choice for households in the US and in the UK driven largely by a desire to reduce plastic waste. In the US, nearly half (48.5 percent) of all beverage occasions are now water. According to the study, this increase in water consumption represents a huge opportunity for brands, through the launch of flavored water and juice variants.