54% of snacks eaters eat snacks to boost their daily nutritional intake, highlighting contribution to daily intake of particular nutrients as a continuing opportunity. There…
UK
Snacks
Consumer Habits
simple
UK Consumer Snacking Report 2025
"Media coverage of UPFs is making certain snacks less appealing, but snacks with positive nutrition messages, including fortified products, will help support sales."
Richard Caines - Principal Analyst, UK Food & Drink Research
This report looks at consumers’ snacking habits, defined as eating between meals. The report discusses types of snacks eaten, frequency of snacking, where snacks eaten, reasons for eating snacks, and behaviours and attitudes related to snacking.
UK Consumer Snacking Trends
Over half of snack eaters consume snacks to boost their daily nutritional intake, highlighting a continuing opportunity for brands to position snacks as contributors to specific nutrient needs.
Functional claims in snack launches remain popular, with digestive health, energy, bone health, immune system support, and weight/muscle gain being the most common. Brain health is also emerging as a notable area of interest.
Efforts to avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs) remain strong, with 71% of UK adults trying to avoid them, unchanged from 2023. Media coverage of UPFs has influenced 57% of snack eaters, making certain snacks less appealing, particularly those with long ingredient lists, which 67% associate with being ultra-processed.
A positioning of ‘only N ingredients’ is highly appealing, with 77% of snack eaters finding products with fewer ingredients more attractive. Simplifying ingredient lists and equating simplicity with naturalness can help brands build trust and align with consumer preferences.
This report looks at the following areas:
Types of snacks eaten, frequency of snacking, and where snacks are eaten
Key trends in recent launch activity and consumer interest in trying new snacks
Factors influencing snacking and reasons for eating snacks
Impact of media coverage of ultra-processed foods on snack choices
Eating snacks to boost daily nutritional intake and interest in snacks with specific health benefits
Attitudes towards fortification for added nutrition in snacks
Report Attributes
Details
Published Date
August 2025
Report Author
Richard Caines, Principal Analyst, UK Food & Drink Research
Market Data Range
2019-2025
Consumer Data
2,000 internet users aged 16+, May 2025
Consumer Questionnaire Coverage
Types of snacks eaten, Frequency of snacking, Where snacks are eaten, Reasons for eating snacks, Behaviours related to eating snacks, Attitudes towards snack eating and snacks
Being non-HFSS still being referenced in launch announcements
Steep cuts to any one nutrient is challenging
Some snacks offering sugar reductions above 30%
High/added fibre or protein the most common nutritional claims
Snack/cereal/energy bars top protein and fibre snack launches
Graph 26: % of snack food launches with high/added fibre claim, by snack category, 2025
Graph 27: % of snack food launches with high/added protein claim, by snack category, 2025
Brands are using nutrient-dense ingredients to offer a natural source of fibre/protein
Advertising and marketing activity
Outdoor and social drives big increase in 2024 advertising
Graph 28: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on snacks, 2021-25
Chocolate the most heavily advertised snack
Graph 29: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on snacks, by category, 2023-25
Biggest confectionery manufacturers are the top snacks advertisers
Graph 30: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on snacks, by top advertisers, 2023-25
Flavour/taste is a central theme of snack advertising
‘No Walkers, No Game’ highlights unbeatable taste
Irresistible taste and flavour messages from Tyrrells, Pipers and Pringles
Health and permissibility are a rarer theme in snacks
Whitworths promotes the nutrient benefits of its snack mixes
Cheez-It launches in UK with big marketing budget
Being a pick-me-up is another theme in advertising
Soreen’s ‘squidgy little pick me up’ campaign
APPENDIX
Advertising and marketing
Advertising spending on snacks by category
Advertising spending on snacks by media type
Advertising spending on snacks by biggest advertisers
Advertising spending on snacks by biggest advertisers (Continued)
Report scope and definitions
Market definition
Abbreviations and terms
Consumer research methodology
Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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