Thanks to Americans' increasingly hectic lifestyles, sales of grab-and-go items like salty snacks, including chips, popcorn and pretzels, are increasing, according to the June 2018 "Salty Snacks: U.S. Market Trends and Opportunities" report from Packaged Facts. Convenience is cited as a top purchase driver.

New and updated software suites available today help snack and bakery companies efficiently manage any supply-chain or finished-product traffic traveling in and out of the warehouse. Companies benefit from this software because their facilities always have what they need for production runs on hand at any given time, there's no lag in ingredient ordering.

Nuts, seeds and other inclusions add new dimensions of color, appearance, texture, nutrition, flavor and more to an increasing range of snack and bakery products. Nut and seed consumption has continued to increase over the past several years. One of the contributing factors to the growth is consumer awareness and interest in plant-based foods.

Interest in "slower" food and deeper connections to food sources has brought heirloom tomatoes, heritage breeds of livestock, and ancient and heirloom grains to the fore.

Snacking is a way of life in America. As Mintel notes in its May 2017 "Snacking Motivations and Attitudes-U.S." report, nearly everyone in America snacks every day. Of the 94 percent of people who snack during the day, half snack two to three times per day.

When it comes to pizza, consumers aren't lukewarm: Those who like it are committed to their favorite convenient meal. According to Mintel's latest U.S. pizza market report, more than one-third of consumers who purchase frozen pizza from their local grocery store do so two or three times a month or more.

Healthier ingredients, bolder tastes and more convenient, on-the-go formats are top trends in the snack bar category. This healthier mindset has brought an emphasis on higher protein, along with and lower carbs, higher fiber and a cleaner label.

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus was known for his central belief that change is constant, a point clearly illustrated by the fantastic innovation seen across every bakery category today. Yet bread is the oldest form of food known to humankind, dating back thousands of years. And we still eat it today.