Healthy Snacks–Global360 Category Report 2025 Table of Contents •Executive Summary •Issues and Opportunities •Consumer Insights •Market Influences •Brand Strategies •Trends in Action •New Product Launch Trends •Trends in Healthy Bakery •Trends in Healthy Confectionery •Trends in Healthy Snacks Introduction •Healthy snacking has moved from niche to mainstream, no longer analternative but a daily ritual for most consumers. Health is now a baseline expectation–protein, fiber and natural claims are table stakes–while indulgence is being redefined around balance, functionality and permission.The battleground is the at-home occasions, where mindful routines and mealreplacement create new anchors for growth. Yet the landscape is under •Amid these challenges, the opportunity lies on owning the at-home moment,blending function with pleasure and harnessing technology to personalizehealth. From AI-driven formulation that accelerates healthier innovation tomood-supportive botanicals and globally inspired ingredients, the next waveof healthy snacks will deliver both purpose and enjoyment. This report More time at home is reshaping food and beverage choices, with health a toppriority •Over half of consumers report spending moretime at home, paired with a decline in eatingout. This shift is part of a broader lifestylechange that includes more time spent innature and greater focus on personalwellbeing. In this context, healthy choice or.health benefits rank among the top priorities(40%), alongside quality and value. At-homeconsumption is more deliberate–peoplehave more time to choose, compare andevaluate what they eat. While this trend Own the at-home moment to lock in healthy snacking leadership •With consumers spending more time at home–whether for work, leisure or wellness–the homehas become the core stage for snacking. Healthysnacks already have a strong foothold here, but •Brands can blur the lines between meals andsnacks, positioning products as both a quickhunger fix and a satisfying part of at-homeroutines. This means owning afternoon peakswith formats that solve the midday hunger slump,offering portion-right packs or pairing withbeverages for ready-made mini-meals. At home, Consumer Insights Health is the baseline in snack choice; taste carries the win •Taste remains the top motivator for snackchoice, but healthiness and quality ingredients are as important, reflectinga no compromise mindset in whichconsumers expect to enjoy snackswithout guilt. This is reinforced by the •For brands, the challenge is to make healthbenefits integral to the product experiencerather than an afterthought. Messaging thatintegrates taste and health, backed by Healthy snackers: A growing consumer profile As consumers look for everyday balance, snacks positioned as healthy–whether through functionalingredients or minimal processing–are becoming part of the daily wellness routine Demographics and frequency: Motivation and mindset: •Healthy snackers are mainstream: 79%snack at least once daily, with 42%snacking two to three times per day. •Healthy snackers are purpose-driven:Top motivations are hunger relief (34%),energy (35%) and a nutrition boost (28%). •Usage spans all age groups and householdtypes, though younger consumers are morelikely to use snacks as meal replacements Product priorities: •Functional benefits are non-negotiable:35% expect high protein, 33% fiber.•Functional ingredients are seenas a waytoboost nutrition (22%).•Ingredient simplicity matters: 68% look Occasion and location: •Home is the primary snacking environment–63% consume healthy snacks at home. •Healthy snacking peaks in the afternoon(62%) and evening (49%), with additionaloccasions in the morning (29%) for energy Governments regulations impact snacking •Policy pressure is becoming a decisive market force. Acrossregions, governments are introducing front-of-pack nutrition labels(from warning symbols in Latin America to Nutri-Score in Europe)that make nutrition more transparent and harder to spin. At thesame time, restrictions on promoting high-fat, sugar, salt products •For snacking, this creates a sharper split: products that cangenuinely claim health credentials stand to gain visibility and trust,while those relying on vague or health halo positioning risk beingpenalized. In the US, movements such as Making America Healthy •The opportunity is for healthy snacks to own the compliant,credible space: leaning into reformulation, transparent labelingand clean ingredient lists not just to meet regulation but to signal From cost control to personalization, AI is reshaping healthy snacking markets •AI is fast becoming a market-shaping force in snacking, influencingeverything from product pipelines to consumer expectations. On thesupply side, AI tools accelerate formulation and reduce costs, enabling brands to respond quickly to inflationary pressures and shifting demand.The 3S Sugar Reduction Solution, for example, delivers