Snacking just isn’t what it used to be. It’s evolving, actually. And for companies that make and sell sweet snacks, salty snacks, carbonated beverages, and other high calorie snacks…that could be good or bad or both. Field Agent recently surveyed 500 snackers, split evenly between men and women, to obtain a better idea of snacking in present day America. We asked 10 questions (right), to understand how snacking behavior has changed, is changing, and will change. The survey addressed other snacking questions as well.

1. CONSUMER INSIGHTS
on Snacking
10
by

2. Which best describes how much you eat/drink now
compared to 5 years ago? 3
Which best describes how much you expect to be
eating/drinking 5 years from now? 4
In what ways, if any, do you snack differently today
than you did in the past? 5
Why are you snacking differently today than you did in the past? 6
How concerned are you about consuming healthy snack foods
and beverages? 7
Rate the following snack items by your perception of
how unhealthy they are. 7
When do you snack during a typical day? 8
Which of the following emotions do you at least
sometimes feel after you've eaten a high-calorie or
otherwise unhealthy snack? 9
Rank the following by how important they are to you
when buying and eating snack foods. 10
Where do you regularly purchase snack (i.e., non-meal)
foods and/or beverages from? 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Snacking just isn’t what it used to be. It’s evolving, actually.
And for companies that make and sell sweet snacks, salty
snacks, carbonated beverages, and other high calorie
snacks…that could be good or bad or both.
Field Agent recently surveyed 500 snackers, split evenly
between men and women, to obtain a better idea of
snacking in present day America. We asked 10 questions
(right), to understand how snacking behavior has changed,
is changing, and will change. The survey addressed other
snacking questions as well.
Snacking just isn’t what it used to be. It’s evolving, actually.
And for companies that make and sell sweet snacks, salty
snacks, carbonated beverages, and other high calorie
snacks…that could be good or bad or both.
Field Agent recently surveyed 500 snackers, split evenly
between men and women, to obtain a better idea of
snacking in present day America. We asked 10 questions
(right), to understand how snacking behavior has changed,
is changing, and will change. The survey addressed other
snacking questions as well.

3. For the following snack categories, which BEST describes
how much you eat/drink NOW compared to 5 YEARS AGO?
CHOCOLATE CANDY ICE CREAM/
FROZEN TREATS
SWEET BAKED SNACKS
SALTY SNACKS SODAS/CARBONATED
BEVERAGES
22% 26%
51%
29% 28%
43%
26%
33%
41%
39% 36%
25% 23% 20%
54%
More than 5 Years ago
Same as 5 Years ago
Less than 5 Years ago
3
1

4. For the following snack categories, which BEST describes how much you
EXPECT to be eating/drinking 5 YEARS FROM NOW, when compared to today?
CHOCOLATE CANDY ICE CREAM/
FROZEN TREATS
SWEET BAKED SNACKS
SALTY SNACKS SODAS/CARBONATED
BEVERAGES
3%
43%
54%
7%
47% 46%
9%
41%
50%
More than 5 Years ago
Same as 5 Years ago
Less than 5 Years ago4%
30%
64%
9%
55%
36%
4
2

5. In what ways, if any, do you snack DIFFERENTLY
today than you did in the past? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
5
I EAT MORE
FRESH SNACKS
52%
46% 43% 42% 38% 38%
I HAVE CUT
OUT CERTAIN
TYPES OF SNACKS
I HAVE
SWITCHED TO
HEALTHIER
SNACK BRANDS
I MONITOR
MORE CLOSELY
SNACK CALORIES,
FAT CONTENT
I EAT LESS
FREQUENT
SNACKS
I EAT SMALLER
PORTIONS/
SERVING SIZES
I EAT LOWER
CALORIE SNACKS
22%
3

6. WHY are you snacking differently today than you did in the past?
CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
6
TO LIVE
HEALTHIER
IN GENERAL
80%
67%
61%
38% 36% 34%
TO FEEL
BETTER
TO LOSE
WEIGHT
TO LOOK
BETTER/
MORE
ATTRACTIVE
TO SET A
GOOD
EXAMPLE
FOR OTHERS
(E.G., KIDS)
TO SAVE
MONEY
TO KEEP SNACKS
OUT OF THE
HOUSE
16%
TO AVOID
SUPPORTING
COMPANIES
THAT CONTRIBUTE
TO OBESITY
9%
4
n = 454

7. How concerned are you about consuming healthy snack foods and beverages,
on a scale from 0-10, where 10 is extremely concerned and 0 is not at all concerned.
Rate the following snack items by your perception of how unhealthy they are,
on a scale from 0-10, where 10 is extremely unhealthy and 0 is not at all unhealthy.
7
0 10
6.90
0 10
4.07
SALTED NUTS REGULAR
POTATO CHIPS
REGULAR
CANDY BARS
REGULAR
SODAS/SOFT DRINKS
0 10
7.02
0 10
7.57
0 10
8.10
5
6

8. WHEN do you snack during a TYPICAL DAY? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
8
55%
54%
37%
36%
34%
11%
10%
1%
LATE EVENING
LATE AFTERNOON
EARLY AFTERNOON
LATE MORNING
EARLY EVENING
EARLY MORNING
THROUGH THE NIGHT
I DO NOT SNACK AT ALL ON THE TYPICAL DAY
7

9. Which of the following EMOTIONS do you at least sometimes feel AFTER you've
eaten a high-calorie or otherwise unhealthy snack? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
9
40%
39%
34%
33%
22%
GUILTY
SATISFACTION/CONTENTMENT
JOY/PLEASURE
REGRET
DEPRESSED/DISAPPOINTED
8

10. Where 1 is most important and 5 least important, rank the following
by how important they are to you when buying and eating snack foods.
10
RANK 1
RANK 2
RANK 3
RANK 4
RANK 5
TASTE GENERAL
NUTRITION
PRICE /
VALUE
CONVENIENCE SPECIFIC
LABEL CLAIM
39%
ranked
Taste #1
25% 38%
ranked
Price #3
21%
32%
ranked
Convenience
#4
53%
ranked
Specific
Label #5
33%
ranked
Nutrition
#1
22% 24%
9

11. WHERE do you REGULARLY purchase snack (i.e., non-meal)
foods and/or beverages from? CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY.
11
79% 77%
41%
28% 26% 23%
17% 16%
4%
GROCERY
STORE
MASS
MERCHAN-
DISERS
CONVENIENCE
STORES
CHECKOUT
LINES
DRUG
STORES
DOLLAR
STORES
SPECIALTY
STORES
VENDING
MACHINES
ONLINE
10

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