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US Snack, Nutrition and Performance Bars Market Report 2024

US Snack, Nutrition and Performance Bars Market Report 2024

Explore how the US food bar market is evolving and shifting to consumer needs with this in-depth report. Stay ahead of the curve and gain critical, data-backed insights. For this page, “food bar” refers to snack, nutrition, and performance bars. Below, we’ve summarized the key topics covered and offer hand-selected insights from the report document.

Key Topics Covered

Food bar type purchase and frequency.
Adult and kids’ food bar occasions and priorities.
Attitudes toward food bars.
External factors impacting bar purchase.
The food bar market and brand activity.

US Food Bar Market Overview

Food bar market size in the US is estimated to show respectable growth in 2023, following up on the near-double-digit growth in 2022. This reflects consumers’ cravings for convenient and filling food and shows the resilience of food bars despite inflation. Snack, nutrition, and performance bar versatility allow consumers to both indulge and fulfill health needs, with flavors and ingredients that are constantly evolving.

Food Bar Consumer Insights

Food bar purchase differences by type

As nutritional bar purchases decreased between 2022-2023, meal replacement bars increased in the same period. With money and time constraints, meal replacement bars may be an even simpler option for consumers on the go.

Adult food bar occasions

Bar pairings can reimagine the role of this versatile food. At-home and evening snacks lead food bar occasions, opening up consumers’ kitchens for low-effort culinary experimentation that aligns with eating patterns. Beverage pairings can shake up food bar occasions, such as a glass of chocolate milk post-workout. Brands can therefore bring fresh associations to food bar occasions.

What’s Next for Food Bar Brands?

All things considered, future success in the US food bar industry will be awarded to brands that maintain bold strategies and continue to strike a balance between taste, health, and concept innovation while evolving positioning and communication to align with shifting consumer needs and lifestyles.

Try this report alongside our Future of Snack Bars Report. Alternatively, browse the rest of our expansive food market research.

Products Covered in this Report

For the purposes of this Report, snack, nutrition, and performance bars are defined as:

Snack bars: cereal and snack bars, such as Quaker Chewy; and granola bars, such as Nature Valley.
Nutrition bars: health/nutrition bars, including food bars that contain additional nutrients, such as fiber, protein (nonathletic), calcium, etc; also includes bars positioned as meal replacements (non-weight loss).
Performance bars: athletic bars used for fuel during athletic endeavors or to enhance physical fitness or exercise, such as PowerBar; includes performance-focused protein bars.
Weight loss bars: bars meant for diet and weight loss/weight management, such as Slim-Fast and Zone bars.

Expert Analysis

Leading food, drink, and nutrition analyst Adriana Chychula delivers expert industry commentary with this in-depth report.

US lifestyles have rendered meals relative; snack bars’ versatility primes them to fit within today’s definition and the next.

Adriana Chychula
Analyst, Food, Drink & Nutrition

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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Consumer trends: key takeaways
- Market predictions
- Opportunities
Consumer Insights
- The snack, nutrition and performance bar consumer: fast facts
- Bar type purchase
- Are meal replacement bars absorbing nutrition bar needs?
- Graph 1: bar type purchase, 2022-23
- Finances change bar type – but not overall engagement
- Graph 2: bar type purchase, by financial status, 2023
- Moms want hunger solutions; dads want tools
- Graph 3: bar type purchase, by parental status and gender, 2023
- Support kids’ growing independence with bars
- Graph 4: snack, nutrition and performance bar purchase, 2023
- Bar frequency
- Performance bars demonstrate role of routine
- Graph 5: bar consumption frequency, 2023
- Adult bar occasions
- Creative pairings can expand bar occasions
- Graph 6: adult bar occasions, 2023
- Support entire financial spectrum with well-rounded solutions
- Graph 7: bar occasions, by financial status, 2023
- Generational differences point to shifting snacking behaviors
- Graph 8: adult bar occasions, by generation, 2023
- Children’s bar occasions
- Help parents control the chaos
- Graph 9: children’s bar occasions, 2023
- Adult bar priorities
- “Real” and filling top the charts
- Graph 10: adult bar priorities, 2023
- Priorities by financial health reflect widened dietary gaps
- Graph 11: adult bar priorities, by financial status, 2023
- Parents’ own needs reflect US lifestyles
- Graph 12: adult bar priorities, by parental status, 2023
- Children’s bar priorities
- Bargaining with kids’ palates wins out
- Graph 13: children’s bar priorities, 2023
- Attitudes toward bars
- Expand flavor horizons via casual introductions…without neglecting core
- Graph 14: select attitudes toward bars, 2023
- Get parents’ attention via fun flavor innovation
- Graph 15: attitudes toward bars, by parental status and gender, 2023
- Own distinct bar identities
- Graph 16: select attitudes toward bars, 2023
- Younger generations set time and place for high-power formulations
- Graph 17: attitudes toward bars, by generation, 2023
Competitive Strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Flavor innovation showcases rich experiences in small packages
- “Real” formulations: pare it down, jazz it up
- Pared down…
- …jazzed up
- Think outside the bar
- Opportunities
- Versatility can expand even the most classic options
- Tack on functionality to drive a premium
- Graph 18: attitudes toward bars, 2023
The Market
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Flexible schedules encourage flexible solutions
- Graph 19: work situation, 2023
- Snacking as a way of life
- Graph 20: snacking frequency, 2023
- “Ozempic era” reflects blurring of pop and diet culture
- Graph 21: interest in BFY benefits, 2023
- Ultra-processing discussions may draw higher scrutiny of ingredient labels
- Graph 22: attitudes toward bars, 2023
- Market size and forecast
- Bars’ versatility will carry the category through 2028
- Retail sales and forecast of bars
- Market segmentation
- Retail sales of bars, by segment
- Graph 23: total retail sales and forecast of snack, nutrition and performance bars, by segment, at current prices, 2018-28
- Snack bars: lean into on-the-go flavor
- Retail sales of snack bars
- Performance bars: maintain specialized identity
- Retail sales of performance bars
- Nutrition bars: quality, concentrated nutrition as a value proposition
- Retail sales of nutrition bars
- Weight loss bars: find new footholds
- Retail sales of weight loss bars
- Market share/brand share
- Category leaders challenged by private label, “others”
- Sales of bars, by company
- Nature Valley maintains lead within snack bars segment
- Nature Valley releases
- Sales of snack bars, by company
- Cliff holds half performance bar market, despite share loss
- Sales of performance bars, by company
- Quest secures quarter nutrition bars market
- Sales of nutrition bars, by company
- “Other” brand losses prop up leaders amid overall weight loss bar declines
- Sales of weight loss bars, by company
Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Forecast
- Forecast fan chart
- Total market (inflation-adjusted)
- Retail sales of snack bars (inflation-adjusted)
- Retail sales of performance bars (inflation-adjusted)
- Retail sales of nutrition bars (inflation-adjusted)
- Retail sales of weight loss bars (inflation-adjusted)

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