Survey on snacking patterns

According to a survey by Canadean, fruit and vegetables, cereal bars and yoghurts are more commonly snacked on in the morning, while crisps, chocolate and cake are consumed more often in the afternoon. Consumers aim to eat healthily, but as the day wears on they stray from their good intentions towards more unhealthy snacks.

The survey found that, of the participants that snacked, rising stress levels lead to them eating unhealthy snacks in the evenings. Snacking on indulgent or nostalgic treats aids this for many consumers, helping them to achieve a sense of reward and comfort. Chocolate, crisps and savory snacks are most commonly consumed later in the day; with 80% of consumers who snack on chocolate bars doing so in the afternoon or evening

This snacking pattern was found to be especially prevalent in office environments, due to the convenience of snacking as well as rising stress levels. Canadean claims that the results show that marketers should target consumers’ desire to snack healthily in the mornings and indulge later in the day.

Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean, says: “There are emerging opportunities for marketers to target healthier snacks for afternoon consumption by focusing on the indulgence offered and keeping health as a secondary benefit to the consumer.”