(BPT) – When you think “spring refresh,” you might automatically imagine a thorough housecleaning, but this time of year provides plenty of other opportunities for renewal when it comes to lifestyle and habits. A recent survey discovered that many Americans, and especially parents, find spring to be the ideal time for revamping habits around meals and snacks. The study, conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Voortman Cookies Limited, found that Americans are feeling inspired to reinvent their resolutions this season, with 6 in 10 saying that eating better was their top priority for a spring refresh.
Here are a few of the ways Americans are revamping their snacking habits this spring.
1. Better-for-you snacking through a focus on ingredients
Consumers today are paying more attention to which ingredients are in the snacks they purchase. In the survey, a whopping 91 percent of the respondents said they consider buying and consuming snacks based on the amount of sugar in the snack, and 55 percent named reducing the amount of sugar they consume as the biggest change they want to make in their snacking habits. How serious are they about this goal? Eighty percent said that 2023 would be the year they cut back on sugar in their diet.
In addition to the sugar content in snack foods, more than half (51 percent) of the respondents also said that they preferred to purchase snacks that use real ingredients and no artificial ingredients.
2. Portions really do matter
When approaching snacking, consumers also are thinking more carefully about their portion sizes. Nearly half (46 percent) of the respondents said that they plan to change their snacking habits by eating smaller portions this spring.
3. How “feel-good” snacks can make a difference
Americans who are aspiring to snack better are discovering that the taste of what they snack on is important, too. An overwhelming number of consumers (84 percent) agreed that small indulgences in snacks that they really enjoy can help them stay on track with eating better overall.
If ingredients, portions and satisfying taste all matter to you when it comes to choosing snacks for yourself and your family, you might want to try options like the new Voortman® Zero Sugar Mini Wafers: bite-sized mini wafers that are perfect for the sugar-conscious snacker. The wafers come in two classic flavors, vanilla and chocolate, and now are available at grocery retailers nationwide. The best news? They contain no artificial flavors or colors, no high-fructose corn syrup and they’re packaged in convenient 6.5-ounce resealable stand-up pouches perfect for on-the-go, poppable snacking.
Voortman Cookies bakes a variety of cookies and wafers that make balancing better-for-you snacking habits with indulgence easy and delicious. Visit Voortman.com or Instagram.com/voortman_cookies to explore all of the snacking possibilities.
Survey methodology: The Voortman Cookies survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ Feb. 10-14, 2023, using an email invitation and an online survey. Data was weighted to ensure an accurate representation of nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+.