Content about The Hartman Group

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.

Snacking is no longer limited to between-meal munching. “The food culture is changing, and snacking occasions are much broader,” said Blaine Becker, a representative for The Hartman Group. Becker said consumers are snacking more frequently during the day and often are reaching for more substantial, healthier snacks.

Research from The Hartman Group indicated that for millennial consumers, the lines between meals have blurred, and “three squares” a day are being replaced by smaller, more frequent meals.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — According to a study presented Friday at the Natural Products Expo West, Boiron has found there is substantial opportunity for growth in the retail sales of homeopathic medicines with notable interest among consumers in trying homeopathic medicines.

Nearly half of all consumers have used a natural or alternative medicine successfully in the past, and there is strong consumer desire to minimize their usage of traditional over-the-counter medications because of safety and purity concerns.