January 7, 2025 – In the US, consumers opt for snack bars for their convenient, nutrient-packed solutions that align with busy lifestyles and evolving wellness goals. Innova’s 360 research into snack bar market trends highlights consumers eating occasions, attitudes about snack bar claims, product attributes, and purchasing outlet preferences. It also displays innovation opportunities that might develop in the future within the industry.
Snack Bars Consumer Preferences
In the snack bars market, nearly half of the US consumers purchased cereal and energy bars in the past year, surpassing the global average of 37%. The top eating frequency for snack bars is a few times a month, followed closely by 2-3 times a week. Generation Z, Millennials, and households with children (especially teenagers) are most likely to eat snack bars more than once a week. Snack bars are particularly popular at breakfast or as a morning snack, with top eating occasions including filling up between meals and enjoying as a TV snack.
Taste and convenience are the primary reasons for eating snack bars in the snack bars market, followed by health benefits and energy boosts. Notably, 21% of consumers have increased their consumption, while two-thirds maintain steady intake levels. Taste, flavor, and cost remain the most influential product attributes driving purchases, with added protein and energy/alertness as the most desired functional health benefits. Claims like high in protein and fiber significantly influence purchasing decisions.
Supermarkets are the top outlet for snack bar purchases. Less than one-third of consumers buy them at each of the other store types.
Snack Bars Market Size and Trends
The sales and volume of the US snack bars market have been steadily rising throughout the past five years, by 5% and 3% CAGR, respectively. Snack bars trends research predicts a projected growth rate of 5% CAGR in sales and 4% CAGR in volume in the next three years.
In the snack bars market, North America leads global snack bar sales, followed by Western Europe. The Middle East, Western Europe and Eastern Europe have shown the strongest growth since 2023. In the US, cereal bars are the largest product segment on a value basis, with ‘other bars’ showing a slight increase in retail dollar sales.
However, US snack bar launches have slowed over the past four years, contrasting with rising activity in Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US have the highest per capita consumption rates over the past year.
Top Brands and Companies
The US snack bars market is fragmented by manufacturer. General Mills, Kellogg’s, Mars, PepsiCo, Bobo’s Oat Bars, Riverside Natural Foods, The Simply Good Foods Company, and Kind are major key players in the market. These top 8 companies account for 25% of branded launches over the past five years. Private label displays 13% of US snack bars launches during the same period.
General Mills is the top company for branded snack bars launches in the US. Some of its notable brands are Nature Valley, Fiber One, Trix, Lucky Charms and Chex. The company’s recent launches in the US include Nature Valley Fruit and Nut Granola bars, one with dark chocolate and cherry and the other with pomegranate flavors.
Claims and Ingredients
Health claims lead in the snack bar market in the US, with most products featuring passive claims and over one-fifth highlighting active health benefits. Gluten-free, GMO-free, high source of protein, fiber, vegan and ethical packaging are the top positionings that appeal to health-conscious and socially responsible consumers.
Ingredient trends reflect this focus on health and functionality. Most launches contain botanical, sugars/honey, fat/oil, grain, fruit and/or nut/seed ingredients. Oat leads as the top grain ingredient, while rice flour, oat flour, and brown rice show significant growth in new launches. Coconut and date maintain steady popularity as top fruit ingredients. Meanwhile, almonds and peanuts lead in the nut category, and sunflower seeds lead among seeds. Sweeteners like glycerol and granulated sugar remain top sugar and sweetener ingredients in formulations.
These ingredient choices and health-focused claims highlight how brands are responding to evolving consumer demands for ethically, nutritious, functional snack options.
Snack Bars Flavors and Textures
Over half of new snack bars have brown flavors, followed by fruit and nut flavors. Milk chocolate, peanut butter, and chocolate chip are the leading flavors.
Protein, cereal, and granola bars are the top product types in the US. Over four-fifths of launches are described as bars. Most products don’t mention texture on their packaging. However, chewy, soft and crispy are the leading textures among those that mention texture.
What’s Next in the Snack Bars Market Trends?
Nearly half of US adults purchase snack bars, with most consuming them 2-3 times a week or a few times a month. This behavior highlights an opportunity to boost both market penetration and consumption frequency through demographic targeting, occasion-based marketing, and innovation in positioning, ingredients, and flavors.
Snack bars trends reveal that over 80% of global snack bars feature health-related claims, though most are passive, reflecting inherent ingredients rather than actively added benefits. Protein and fiber remain key purchase drivers, creating a clear opportunity for brands to introduce products that aggressively emphasize these benefits.
Snack bars have a variety of traditional fruit flavors, and some new products contain unusual ingredients or flavors such as pineapple, lychee, guava, and even jalapeno. Brands can stand out in a crowded market by exploring unique flavor combinations and unexpected ingredients. Branda can focus on expanding functional claims and diversifying flavor profiles which might drive consumer interest and category growth.
This article is based on Innova’s Now & Next in Snack Bars in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
