US Snacking Motivations and Attitudes Consumer Report 2025
Consumers don't have consensus on the definitions of a snack, with only 60% agreeing that snacks are foods eaten between meals.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- What consumers want and why
- Opportunities
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Annual inflation slightly rose in November
- Graph 1: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Black consumer attitudes about snacking shed light on their behavior patterns
- Openness to what a snack can be yields more occasions to snack
- Graph 2: snacking consumption comparison, Black consumers vs all, 2025
- GLP-1 commotion will have bigger impact than actual meds, which remain limited
- Use, and interest, remain low for GLP-1 meds
- Graph 3: experience with GLP-1, 2025
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Snacking consumer segments
- Subtle, yet impactful, differences shape consumer segments
- Graph 4: cluster analysis of snacking attitudes, 2025
- Price associations are a red flag for the future
- Graph 5: attitudes about snacking, by consumer segments, any agree, 2025
- Committed Snackers offer the biggest opportunities, but are not without unique challenges
- Committed Snackers snack the most often and are most likely to increase snacking YOY
- Moderate Meal Replacers offer one big opportunity, lots of small challenges
- Moderate Meal Replacers find snacks important, likely due to occasional meal replacement habits
- Indulgence’s biggest challenge is moderation with Indulgent Treaters
- Indulgent Treaters see snacks as a between-meals treat
- Flip the script on emotional benefits of snacks for Emotional Eaters
- Emotional Eaters aren’t replacing meals but agree that snacks are important
- BFY can’t mean boring for Occasional Indulgers
- Occasional Indulgers see snacks as indulgent but less important overall
- Snacking frequency
- Snacking YOY highlights more than just frequency change
- Graph 6: trended snacking frequency, 2024-25
- Moderation isn’t the most useful concept in terms of snacking behavior and brand decision
- Graph 7: snacking frequency by cluster analysis of snacking attitudes, 2025
- Changes in snacking
- Snacking stays the course
- Pay attention to Gen Z to see where snacking is going next
- Snacking happens at least daily for most
- Graph 8: snacking frequency, by various demographics, 2025
- Committed Snackers are doubling down on snacks
- Graph 9: snacking frequency changes by cluster analysis of snacking attitudes, 2025
- Snacking behaviors
- Variety is a cornerstone of the snacking landscape
- Graph 10: attitudes about snacking, 2025
- Key attitudes shape snacker profiles
- Graph 11: snacking behavior, by consumer segmentation, 2025
- The change in snacking tides happens between Boomers and Gen X
- Graph 12: snacking behavior, by generation, 2025
- Opportunity is big for brands who make snack time easier on parents
- Graph 13: snacking behavior, by parental status, 2025
- Foods eaten as a snack
- Pair up for max power
- Graph 14: foods eaten as a snack, 2025
- Variety is the spice of snacks for younger consumers
- Graph 15: foods eaten as a snack, by generation, 2025
- Balance is key for reaching parents
- Graph 16: foods eaten as a snack, by parental status, 2025
- Snack choices shape, and are shaped by, consumer approaches to snacking
- Graph 17: foods eaten as a snack, by consumer segmentation, 2025
- Snack occasions
- Help consumers find fun ways to use seasonal products, even if just spicing up mundane occasions
- Special products and packaging, don’t get tons of attention, but some occasions stand out
- Graph 18: snack type, by occasion, 2025
- Make even the smallest celebrations special with snacks
- Graph 19: snack type by occasion, by financial situation, 2025
- Parents are here to party
- Graph 20: snack type by occasion, by parenthood, 2025
- Definition of a snack
- Snacks don’t need a definition…
- Snacks don’t need a definition, except in the hearts and minds of the consumer
- Graph 21: definitions of a snack, 2025
- Snacks are becoming harder to define with each generation, but there’s opportunity in the grey area
- Graph 22: definitions of a snack, by generation, 2025
- Definition of a snack by gender
- Graph 23: definitions of a snack, by gender, 2025
- Snack definitions are poised to change
- Graph 24: defining snacks by cluster analysis of snacking attitudes, 2025
- Attitudes about snacking
- Brands have strong opportunities to build trust and loyalty with consumers by keeping products affordable
- Graph 25: attitudes about snacking, 2025
- Price sensitivity will shape a generation of snacking
- Graph 26: attitudes about snacking, by generation, 2025
- Brands will have strong opportunities to build trust and loyalty with consumers by keeping products affordable
- Graph 27: attitudes about snacks, by HHI, 2025
- Behaviors to manage price increases
- The most resilient snacks are those without peers
- Graph 28: snacking changes to save money, 2025
- Don’t let brand loyalty become a luxury
- …and consumers across demos agree on this point
- Graph 29: snacking changes to save money – “prioritize my favorite snack,” by various demographics, 2025
- The competition will come from all categories if prices get high enough
- Graph 30: snacking changes to save money – “stop buying snacks/prioritize other food items,” by various demographics, 2025
- Don’t let brand loyalty becomes a luxury
- Graph 31: snacking changes to save money – “buy cheaper brands,” by various demographics, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- BFY cereals launch into bars
- A little (more) spice is nice
- Extra spicy can win extra big
- Innovation can look like dreaming up new, and renewed, occasions for snacks
- Reimagine, not reinvent, the wheel
- Marketing and advertising
- Snickers marketing continues to lean into snacking
- Brands can become synonymous with specific occasions through deliberate marketing
- Tailgating might be the next big occasion
- Taking advantage of viral moments means leaning in while putting down roots
- Cottage cheese can stay relevant after the viral videos cease
- Snacks don’t have to ride solo
- Popcorn Indiana x Netflix + giveaway = big value
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APPENDIX
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Food and drink segmentation clusters and methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
US consumers don’t agree on what a snack is, with only six in ten agreeing that snacks are foods eaten between meals. Snacking habits are changing alongside definitions, making it an opportune time for brands to influence how those changes shake out.
US Consumer Snacking Insights from Mintel
Consumer attitudes and behaviors offer guidance to brands, while the importance of snacking, associations with indulgence and meal replacement behaviors help define key consumer segments (even if snacks themselves continue without a clear definition). Specific snack choices, then, function as both a driver of habit and a result of habit, making plenty of room for varied products and messaging. The US snacks market is as rich with opportunity as it is competition, making it important for brands to understand their target markets as robustly as possible.
Threats to the category come from health concerns, certainly, but with BFY product innovation continuing alongside evolving perspectives on meals vs snacks, the bigger threat is price. While consumers do not necessarily place the burden of price moderation on brands, those most engaged with the category are planning to trade down to cheaper brands or simply buy fewer snacks if prices continue to rise. Affordability – or the lack thereof – has potential to shape the future of snacking in the coming years.
Key Topics Analyzed in the Report
- Snacking frequency and changes YOY
- Attitudes about snacking
- Foods eaten as snacks
- Special occasion snacks
- Definitions of a snack
- Attitudes about snacks and cost
- Behavior changes likely if snack prices increase
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