Chennai: In today’s fast-paced world, snacking has become an integral part of many Indians’ daily diet and routine. This is especially true in the current context, as people across several parts of the country are practicing social distancing.
With family members working from home, and children as well as the youth attending school and colleges virtually, the opportunity and tendency to snack has also increased.
While the idea of snacking encompasses a variety of foods, it’s interesting to note that over the past few years, there has been a conscious change in people’s preferences and habits, and a stronger inclination is seen towards healthier snacking items.
According to a recent survey conducted by IPSOS, a research consulting firm, 91 per cent of the participants try and opt for healthier alternatives whilst snacking.The survey results point out that the Indian consumer’s preferences are skewed towards mindful and healthy snacking.
The quantitative survey by IPSOS aimed to identify the snacking habits and preferences amongst a group of people whose dietary preferences were divided into two categories – ‘vegetarian and non- vegetarian’.
Overall, the results indicate that the participants across both categories prefer to snack on healthy and nutritious food items such as almonds and fruits. In fact, 72 per cent of the participants mentioned that they consumed almonds primarily owing to the perceived health benefits of regular consumption. The consumption was
highest in Delhi (93%), Mumbai (82%) and Chennai (79%).
A total of 4,064 ‘SEC A’ men and women, between 18-50 years were interviewed across 11 cities in India, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
The survey also highlighted that most of the participants- vegetarians as well as non- vegetarians preferred snacking on homemade items (53%). Additionally, preference for healthier snacking options was also noticed in participants within the age band of 41-50 years. Besides that, the survey observed that women in India were more worried about nutrition needs (63%) when compared to men (53%).