Food manufacturers naturally want to know which up-and-coming, on-trend flavors and ingredients will take the world by storm. No one has a crystal ball. But one thing we've always had is chefs and restaurants.
Hippocrates is famously credited with saying, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Often referred to as "The Father of Medicine," Hippocrates perhaps made this declaration somewhere around 400 BC, best historians can tell.
By now, is there anything we don't know about Generation Z? Born from 1996 through 2014, these 4- to 23-year-olds learn with their eyes and share appealing images via social media. They're environmentally aware and socially conscious. Most embrace cultural diversity.
Snack time brings on a level of excitement not unlike cartoons on a Saturday morning (yes, I'm a Gen-Xer). From the sometimes-chaotic snack time at daycare, to the now federally funded "Smart Snacks in School" regulations, and snacks on the go for Gen Z and Millennials, snack consumption is on a rapid rise.
Could puffed, crisped or popped intact whole grains replace extruded rice and grains? They will likely coexist, but they do offer points of differentiation worth considering in your next snack-ideation session.
Chefs and food scientists alike are still focusing on developing the next new groundbreaking snack, but now with a back-to-basics approach focusing on whole and natural food ingredients to meet consumer demands.
As the whole and ancient grain wave continues to surge, chefs and product developers alike are pushing the envelope on the next evolution of breakfast, baked goods, appetizers and snacks.
Is it too late to jump on the snack- and protein-bar bandwagon? Maybe not. Though to say the snack- and energy-bar market is overwhelmingly crowded doesn’t even begin to describe the current climate of the landscape.
