Some may remember the Blondie cartoon, with hubby Dagwood sitting down to eat one of his enormous self-named “Dagwood” sandwiches as a snack. But smart snacking, savvy snacking can actually be good for you. And more and more people are taking advantage of how a little bite might benefit them overall. What’s most interesting is that the way people are snacking is changing. Did you know that people are having snacks instead of meals?
A 2014 Nielsen report stated that 41% of North Americans that were surveyed had eaten snacks instead of dinner at least once in the past 30 days. Favorite snacks for this part of the world include: chocolate, cheese and potato chips. Potato chips are considered the most tempting snack in North America, with a great love of salty snacks. Another snack people often took a bite out of was fresh fruit.
One of the things the research took into consideration was our now more hectic, on-the-go lifestyle. People have less time to cook & prepare meals. They have longer days at work or in school. Perhaps for some, a snack seems like the ideal “go to” food fuel as it is pre-prepared, yummy and totally portable. It also offers you energy as you go about your day.
Other research has shown that snacks are quite popular with many because they curb hunger and help people to manage their weight. When overindulged in, it leads to overeating but if used wisely – that snack can keep your day humming along until the next meal.
The Washington Post reports that in some countries around the world, it has become far more common to eat a light snack than to your main meal.
Instead of eating breakfast, these countries have more people starting their day with a snack. The three top countries are: India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
These three countries choose a snack vs. having lunch: South Africa, India and United Arab Emirates.
In these three countries, people have a snack instead of eating dinner: Egypt, South Africa and Greece.
Snacks are super popular around the world, so it’s no surprise people would want to enjoy them. The top reason they are turning to them vs. a meal is simple: a lack of time. Whether the inability to cook a meal or actually not having the time to eat a meal, a snack simply feels more accessible. Fortunately for most, a snack satisfies and keeps them going.
As this trend continues, we wonder if snacking companies will create snacks that can fully replace meals. There are protein bars and energy bars. But will snacking companies pick up and respond to this growing trend? For now we’ll just have a snack!
