“Healthy” vs. Indulgent Flavor & Snacking Trends

In recent years, “healthy” foods and flavors have been on the rise, as consumers have been becoming more and more health conscious. Consumers have been seeking out food items, spices and flavors with perceived health benefits and free-from claims. In opposition to this trend, we’ve also been seeing super indulgent foods and flavors on the rise. While this trend hasn’t received nearly the attention that the clean eating trends have, consumers have been gravitating towards a “treat yourself” mentality, where foods with super indulgent flavors and ingredients are in demand. Snack manufacturers in particular can take advantage of both of these opposing trends by offering options that are perceived to be healthy, as well as options that are super indulgent and turn a snack into a treat. Here’s a closer look at each of these trends:

“Healthy”

A growing number of consumers are seeking out snacks that meet certain requirements or claims, as they perceive them to be healthier. Whether or not these products actually are healthier is another story. Certain spices, like turmeric, cumin and ginger, which have some possible health properties, have been popping up more and more on snacks. Similarly, other flavors and ingredients that are perceived to be healthy, like avocado, kale, citrus, and sweet potato have been increasing in menu item mentions and new product introductions. Don’t be surprised to see more items with fruit and vegetable inspired flavors in the grocery store and foodservice, as those items will typically be perceived as healthier, even if they aren’t.

Indulgent

For many consumers, snacking is supposed to be a treat, so they’re looking for foods and flavors that really feel like just that. Dessert inspired flavors are, of course, some of the most popular options for indulgent flavors, especially for popcorn and dairy based snacks. These types of flavors would include strawberry cheesecake, apple pie, cookies and cream, red velvet cake, candied apple, and s’mores. Savory flavors, however, can definitely fall in line with this trend. Meat lovers pizza, loaded tater tot, bacon mac and cheese, and most comfort foods fall in line with this trend.

Moving Forward with Fuchs

Whether you’re looking for seasoning options to make your products more appealing to health nuts or indulgent snackers, here at Fuchs, we’ve got you covered.

For more information about our market research, click or tap here.

Contact us today for customized Taste Trend research and more information about our custom seasoning solutions.