Survey Reveals Increased Snacking Habits in the 'New Normal'

Staying home means snacking more for Americans. Amid orders to shelter-in-place, many Americans have turned to snacking for comfort. A new survey, conducted in May in partnership with California Walnuts and Kelton Global, explores the snacking behaviors of Americans and how they’ve changed since shelter-in-place mandates were implemented. About one in two Americans, 48 percent, confess they are snacking more than before the pandemic began. Two in five, 40 percent, of those expect to see this behavior continue after the shelter-in-place mandates are lifted. While Americans are mostly torn when it comes to the perfect flavor profile of their snacks, the preference for sweet snacks at 57 percent, currently edges out salty at 43 percent. Comfort is the first priority, with 75 percent of respondents noting that they are not trying to eat healthier snacks than they usually do, and only 20 percent remarking that they wish there were more nutritious snacking options available.