A study by The NPD Group claims fresh fruit is eaten as a snack more often than any sweet or salty alternative beyond the produce aisle with USA consumers.
The report, “Snacking in America” is from the group’s Rosemont, Ill.-based food and beverage division. It states fresh fruit is eaten 55 times annually per capita as a snack. Chocolate is second at 45; potato chips third at 30; nuts, 27; and cookies, 22. Crackers, yogurt, ice cream and others accounted for 17 each.
The two-year study ended in March.
The NPD Group study found snacks account for 20 percent of all eating occasions.
“Those of us already following the healthiest diets are snacking twice as often as those of us with the least healthy diet,” the report says. “Increased consumption of fruits, yogurts and other better-for-you products is contributing to this health dynamic.”
California is expected to soon announce a new record for table grape shipments. Not only was it a huge crop, but the fruit was high in sugar and had great taste. California table grapes growers are were promoting their fruit as the “Original Super Snack” this season.
The commission is touting five snack recipes on its website aimed at snackers. One is grapes in a canoe — peanut butter-filled celery sticks topped with grapes. The study scores consumers’ snack choices on multiple criteria, among them health and weight concerns; satisfying hunger; convenience; satisfying a craving; and habit.
It distinguishes snacking from grazing. Snacking is more of a social occasion than grazing, it says, and is less likely to include a beverage. Only one in four snacks is now consumed with a beverage. High-calorie, sugary fruit drinks and carbonated soft drinks have seen the largest declines in consumption, according to the report.