WHAT’S THE TOP NUT
AT SNACK TIME?
[ ALMONDS, OF COURSE. ]
THE NEW
SNACK TIME.
Almonds are the
nut most frequently
consumed as a snack.1
It may come as no surprise that
North American consumers were
snacking an average of 2.3 times a
day in late 2013, up from 1.8 times
a day in 2008.1 But do you know
how many different foods and
beverages they consume at
each occasion?
In a recent survey, nearly a quarter
of consumers said they replace at
least one meal a day with a snack,
and they’re most likely to snack
late at night (24%), mid-afternoon
(21%) and mid-morning (18%).1
On average, 4.4 foods or
beverages are consumed at each
snacking occasion.1 This opens a
number of new opportunity areas
for manufacturers—like snack
products that combine different
foods and serve as mini-meals.
Certainly, nuts have benefited
from the increase in snacking.
In this survey, consumers said
they prefer to snack on nuts
mid-morning, but their actual
self-reported consumption is
more evenly distributed across
all day parts.1
Almonds are the nut most
frequently consumed as a snack,
and among almonds, salted and
roasted almonds are the most
common type that consumers
report snacking on. Almonds
are most commonly paired with
apples, bananas, chocolate, salad
and granola bars.1
1. 2013 North America Snacking Consumer
Quantitative Study, Sterling-Rice Group.
2. 2013 North American Consumer AAU Study,
Sterling-Rice Group.
3. Good news about almonds and heart health:
Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove,
that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, such as almonds,
as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol
may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving on
almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only
1g of saturated fat.
4. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of
unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.
5. 2013 Snacks Revolution, Innova Market Insights.
6. Tan YT, Mattes RD. Appetitive, dietary and health
effects of almonds consumed with meals or as
snacks: a randomized, controlled trial. European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
October 2, 2013, ejcn.2013.184.
© 2014 Almond Board of California.
All rights reserved.
Printed in USA. Document #2014IFS0007
ALMONDS:
“THE PERFECT
SNACK FOR ME.”
According to another recent
survey, almonds are the number
one nut that North American
consumers associate with
snacking (31%), with a wide lead
over other nuts.2 And consumers
voted almonds as the most wellliked nut overall. They’re also the
number one nut that consumers
associate with being nutritious,
being heart healthy and helping
with weight management.3
Almonds are the number one nut
associated with crunch, being
convenient and easy to eat, and
“the perfect snack for me.”2
Consumers pursue foods with
protein specifically to satisfy
hunger and boost.1 Fortunately,
a one-ounce serving of almonds
(about a handful) delivers 6 grams
of power-packed protein.4
Other important attributes in
choosing a snack are filling and
satisfying, and almonds fit the
bill on that front, too.5 In a study
published in the European Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, snacking
on 1.5 ounces of almonds a day
reduced hunger and appetite
without increasing body weight
in study participants. While the
study was only four weeks long
and did not measure the longterm impact of eating almonds as
a snack, it suggests snacking can
be a weight-wise strategy.6
It’s no wonder, then, that almonds
are the number one nut in new
snack product introductions in
North America.5
To learn more about what
almonds can add to your next
snacking innovation, visit
Almonds.com/Food-Professionals.