Increased snacking, a potential for healthy snack market in India

While it seems like the everyday pressures of life are driving more Indians to treat themselves with snacks, global food and drinks research firm Mintel says this trend can create a potential for the healthy on-the-go snacks market.
Minu Srivastava, Mintel’s Consumer Research analyst for India, revealed:
“Modern lifestyle pressures are pushing today’s consumers towards food and activities that make them feel good.”
The analyst cites findings from Mintel Trend ‘Mood to Order’, which talks about how consumers are looking to manage their emotional wellbeing by treating themselves with indulgent foods to manage their mood.
“Hence there is a correlation between what we eat and our emotional state, especially when it comes to ‘stress eating’. Consumers may reach out for a snack in response to hunger or an emotional trigger. Still, growing snacking culture and increased frequency of snacking means indulgence needs justification,” Srivastava said.
Thus, “brands can tap into this by offering snacks that provide indulgence along with health and taste in today’s world,” she added.
Mintel found that health and nutritional benefits have become an integral part of the snacking experience, as half of Indian snackers (51%) wish there are more healthy snack options. Moreover, some Indians justify their snacking frequency by saying that they snack to control their weight (28%) and avoid overeating at meals (30%).
The firm also said there has been a growing demand for products that fit lifestyle needs. Among snackers, over a third (36%) agree that they would like to have a better variety of conveniently packaged snacks, while one-third (33%) look for single-serving size packaging when choosing a snack. Srivastava said: “Snacks have traditionally been a companion to TV viewing; given that mobile devices are the ‘new TV’, especially during everyday commute, and this gives brands opportunities to develop on-the-go snacks. Furthermore, health guides many consumers’ life choices, and snacking is no different, as Indian consumers are now looking at the functional benefits like added nutrition, lower-calorie content while choosing a snack. Thus, snacks need to evolve and transform with these changing consumer lifestyles and habits.”