Content about Snack food

CHICAGO — The typical American eats more than 1,000 snack-oriented convenience foods throughout the year, and kids and teens are the heaviest users of this assortment of snacks, which includes fresh fruit, sweets and savory snacks, according to a recent study by The NPD Group, a global information company.

The study also found women eat on average 3.1 snack-oriented convenience foods a day compared to the 2.7 snacks men eat a day.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Zak Designs has announced a new GoPak container designed to make packing lunches easy and without the worry of messy spills.

Consumers are snacking more than ever, but they aren't necessarily reaching for a bag of chips and a can of soda.

"To consumers, a snack can be anything," said Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight at Mintel. "In fact, when we ask people in the United States what snacks they consume, their top five responses are fresh fruit, cheese, cereal, ice cream and yogurt. As you can see, healthy choices dominate." Chocolate, she said, comes in sixth.

PLANO, Texas — Cheetos is mixing things up with its new Cheetos Mix-Ups snack mixes, which combine four Cheetos snack flavors in various shapes in one shareable bag. The brand, part of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, also announced that its spokescat, Chester Cheetah, has joined Twitter as @ChesterCheetah and is asking fans to tweet their opinions of the new snack.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — For years, toddlers have started their mornings watching Elmo and Cookie Monster on "Sesame Street." Now they can also enjoy these characters' friendly faces at breakfast and snack times throughout the day. Post Foods has introduced Post Sesame Street cereal, a wholesome, whole grain, oat-based cereal for children.

NEW YORK — Snacks used to be primarily something given to children as a reward, but today, they're a major part of Americans' eating habits, according to a new report.

Bellevue, Wash.-based market research firm The Hartman Group surveyed members of HartmanSalt.com, a food information website and used data from its Eating Occasions Database to find that Americans, on average, eat 2.3 snacks per day, most frequently in the afternoon, evening and late at night.

SUPPLIER NEWS — Kellogg announced a lineup of innovative additions to its most successful brands for 2013, featuring new flavors and healthier options for snacking.


BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Kellogg on Thursday announced a lineup of innovative additions to its most successful brands for 2013, featuring new flavors and healthier options for snacking.

"We are building off these [snack] brands with new products that reflect our deep understanding of people's evolving taste preferences and nutrition needs," said Alan Gravely, SVP marketing and innovation for Kellogg Snacks.

SALEM, Ore. — Kettle Brand has added toasted snacks to its portfolio of all-natural snacks. New Kettle Brand Bakes are toasted rather than kettle-cooked and contain 65% less fat than Kettle’s fried chips. They contain no trans fats, no artificial colors or flavors, and no preservatives.

Kettle Brand Bakes are the only baked potato chip on the market made from slices of real potato seasoned with natural, savory flavors. Competitive baked crisps are made using dehydrated potato pulp and flakes.

NEW YORK — Happy Family's latest Happy Creamies and Happy Baby Starting Solids pouches are making their way to store shelves.

Dairy-free and gluten-free, Happy Creamies snacks are made with coconut milk and are available in three flavors for babies and toddlers: Strawberry, raspberry and carrot; carrot, mango and orange; and apple, spinach, pea and kiwi, all containing 50% vegetable ingredients. Happy Creamies are available for a suggested retail price of $3.59 per 1-oz. bag.

NEW YORK — Popcorn, Indiana is sweetening up the snacks aisle.

The company said it has reintroduced its limited-edition flavor line. New to the portfolio this year are chocolate peanut butter kettlecorn and dark fudge peppermint kettlecorn. What's more, Popcorn, Indiana has added more flavors to its year-round lineup: almond biscotti popcorn and roasted peanut caramel popcorn. The new varieties are all natural, gluten free, contain whole grains and have zero trans fats, cholesterol or preservatives.

NEW YORK — Living Essentials is planning to expand its portfolio into snack bars in early 2013, according to a Reuters report published last week. The low-calorie snack bar will hold off hunger for three hours, according to the report. The brand name of the new bar was not disclosed.