Nuts, seeds and trail mix tick a lot of boxes as the perfect snack, yet opportunities exist to more greatly meet their potential in the competitive snack space. Despite their portable, BFY, protein-rich, and flavorful attributes, they occupy a middling spot among the most frequently eaten snacks. This disconnect largely stems from pricing and perceived value concerns. The key to elevating their status is twofold: firstly, move beyond snacking to demonstrate new forms of value and application; secondly, double down on all of these things that are fundamental to snacking.
Nuts are a pantry staple in most U.S. households, with 91% of consumers reporting purchases in the last three months. Seeds and trail mix have fewer participants with 39% and 37% purchase rates respectively. Given the category’s reputation for health benefits and its perceived importance to a balanced diet, it’s crucial to stress the nutritional advantages, such as protein for energy. However, since the category is predominantly used for snacking, focusing on flavors and indulgence is also important, especially to appeal to snack-loving Gen Z consumers. Finding the right mix of health, flavor, indulgence, and value is essential for expanding the category’s reach.
This report is written by Julia Mills, Food & Drink Analyst at Mintel. Julia joined Mintel in 2023 after spending two years working in the Food & CPG industry. Prior to Mintel, she analyzed trends & insights in both the food distribution and market research space. She holds a BA in Food & Consumer Package Goods Marketing from Western Michigan University.
Nuts, seeds and trail mix are hidden champions, providing texture, nutrition and flavor. Get creative with versatility and flavors to revamp this OG BFY snack.
Julia Mills
Food & Drink Analyst
Mintel is the world’s leading market intelligence agency. We show you how consumers think today and tomorrow. As a trusted partner to industry leaders, we deliver game-changing insights to businesses across the globe, fuelling their marketing and innovation strategies that will shape the future.
Access high-quality market research with every purchase of Mintel’s consumer reports. Here’s what else is included in your report purchase:
From consumer reports to customised growth strategies. We have an option to suit your business requirements.
Find out more€ 5,900 – € 24,200
Mintel’s 2024-25 Global Outlook on Sustainability: A Consumer Study is designed to help you understand what brands and companies should prioritise in order to educate consumers and ensure...
Find out more€ 4,400
Brand loyalties and habits are salient in the chip category. Yet, interest in flavor and BFY innovation also suggest that chip fans want to explore more ways to...
Find out more€ 4,400
Salty snacks are all about the crave, creating an ever-present opportunity for fun new flavors and textures. John Owen, Associate Director - Food and Retail ...
Find out more€ 4,400
Frozen snacks remain a household staple for many, as convenience and ease of preparation allow them to work across occasions. Benefitting from consumers' continued blurring of snacks and...
Find out more€ 595
Snack Bars - US by Mintel Market Sizes provides you with annual year-end market size data, most recently updated in 2024. This market covers packaged snack bars which...
Find out more€ 595
Snack Food - US by Mintel Market Sizes provides you with annual year-end market size data, most recently updated in 2024. This market covers packaged snacks comprising crisps,...
Find out more
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
From consumer reports to customised growth strategies. We have an option to suit your business requirements.
Find out more
