Highlights from a global survey of snacks by Nielsen:
1. Four main types of snacks: Salty, refrigerated, confections, and vegetables/fruits.
2. Kinds of snacks people like best, in descending order: Fresh fruit (18%), chocolate (15%), yogurt (6%), bread/sandwiches (6%), cheese (5%), potato chips/tortilla chips/crisps (5%), vegetables (5%) and ice cream/gelato (4%)
3. Women consumer more snacks than men: More women consume chocolate (68% women vs. 61% men), fresh fruit (68% vs.57%), vegetables (56% vs. 49%), cookies/biscuits (55% vs. 48%), bread/sandwiches (51% vs. 49%), yogurt (57% vs. 44%), cheese (51% vs. 41%), potato chips/tortilla chips (45% vs. 42%), nuts/seeds (44% vs. 39%) and gum (34% vs. 32%)
4. People's preferred health attributes in snacks (in descending order): All natural ingredients 45%, absence of artificial colors (44%), genetically modified organisms(43%) and artificial flavors (42%) , low in sugar (34%), salt (34%), fat (32%), fiber (37%), ingredients that are sourced sustainably (35%), are organic (34%) and use local herbs (25%), contain protein (31%) and whole grains (29%), calories (30%), Caffeine-free (23%) and gluten-free (19%).
5. Finally, why we eat snacks: (76%) eat snacks often or sometimes to satisfy their hunger between meals or to satisfy a craving, 64% eat snacks to improve their mood, 53% as a reward, 44% because they are stressed, 45% consume snacks as a meal alternative, 52% for breakfast, 43% for lunch, 40% for dinner, 38% consume snacks often or sometimes to manage their weight.