PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, June 16, 2005 - Perhaps adults can learn some healthy eating tips from kids. The NPD Group finds that kids eat fresh fruit more often than any other snack-oriented food. It is the top snack food consumed by boys and girls between ages 2 and 12. Everyday NPD’s SnackTrack® study collects snack food consumption habits for both kids and adults. NPD also tracks the situations when snack foods are consumed to give a complete picture of Americans’ snacking habits.
“There’s not much current data available on the actual eating patterns of kids in this country, but at The NPD Group thousands of people a year provide us with information on their daily snacking habits. And while chips, cookies and candy are among the most popular snack foods, it’s surprising to see that the number one category of snacks consumed by children is fresh fruit,” said Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group. “As people age fruit drops down a little on the list, but it still remains one of the most popular snacks at any age. Later in life, fresh fruit will become the most popular again,” said Balzer.
| Top Snack Foods for Kids | |||
| Boys Ages 2-7 | Girls Ages 2-7 | ||
| 1. Fresh Fruit | 1. Fresh Fruit | ||
| 2. Yogurt | 2. Yogurt | ||
| 3. Potato Chips | 3. Gum | ||
| 4. Chocolate Candy | 4. Potato Chips | ||
| 5. Cookies | 5. Chocolate Candy | ||
| Boys Ages 8-12 | Girls Ages 8-12 | ||
| 1. Fresh Fruit | 1. Fresh Fruit | ||
| 2. Potato Chips | 2. Gum | ||
| 3. Gum | 3. Potato Chips | ||
| 4. Ice Cream | 4. Ice Cream | ||
| 5. Chocolate Candy | 5. Chocolate Candy | ||
| Source: The NPD Group | |||
Snacking has always been a more important part of a child’s diet than an adult’s diet. Children under 18 years of age consume snack foods 23 percent more often than adults. The average child eats snack foods about 530 times per year compared to the average adult who only eats them about 430 times per year.
“While we maynot eat as much fruit as we should in this country, it’s noteworthy that fresh fruit remains one of the top snack foods in the American diet,” said Balzer.
“As we age, the importance of fruit drops as convenient snacks take hold,” said Balzer.
Chewing Gum Tops the List of Adult Snacks
Chewing gum tops the list as the number one snack food that adults, ages 18 to 54, eat during snack occasions. The NPD Group’s SnackTrack® finds that gum is ubiquitous among men and women snackers. Age is a factor in the gum-chewing habits of Americans. It begins to show up as a popular snack among kids under 13, but doesn’t rank as number one until the teenage years.
“People are just walking around waiting for this snack to happen, they don’t necessarily have to think about buying a pack of gum because it can fit anywhere and can last for a while,” said Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group. “How long will a banana last in your purse or briefcase?” said Balzer.
| Top 10 Snack Foods Consumed by Men and Women* | |||
| Men | Women | ||
| 1. Gum | 1. Gum | ||
| 2. Chocolate Candy | 2. Chocolate Candy | ||
| 3. Fresh Fruit | 3. Fresh Fruit | ||
| 4. Potato Chips | 4. Potato Chips | ||
| 5. Breath/Candy Mints | 5. Breath/Candy Mints | ||
| 6. Ice Cream | 6. Ice Cream | ||
| 7. Nuts | 7. Cookies | ||
| 8. Cookies | 8. Nuts | ||
| 9. Tortilla Chips | 9. Yogurt | ||
| 10. Bars | 10. Crackers | ||
| *Ages 18-54 Year-olds Source: The NPD Group |
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NPD finds that Chocolate candy is the second most popular snack food for adults under 55 years old.
“I expect that marketers will continue to look to provide adults with new offerings of gum and candy as these are their most popular snack!” said Balzer.
It’s is also worth comparing the snack choices of men and women in their snack choices … they are more alike than different!
“Keep an eye on nuts … a very popular food among older Americans,” said Balzer. NPD’s data shows that 28 percent of men and 24 percent of women over 65 eat nuts at least once a week compared to 13 percent of adults under 65 years of age. “Did I hear “Nuts for the Boomers?”” said Balzer.
Who is Harry Balzer?
Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group, has studied Americans eating habits for 25 years. Balzer is recognized as one of the most influential forces in they way Americans eat, cook and think about food.
Harry is the author of The NPD Group’s 19th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America. Every major food and beverage marketer in the United States has used this book to make smart decisions and talks to Harry to get smart insights. Harry has access to hundreds of thousands of consumers through NPD’s database and can tell you what people actually do-- not what they say they do.
SnackTrack Online
NPD SnackTrack® is the definitive source for snack food consumption information in the United States. SnackTrack collects consumption data from a nationally representative sample of Americans on a daily basis. SnackTrack collects information on foods identified as snack foods, as well as the actual situations when snack-oriented foods are consumed. It tracks all eating situations, both in-home and away from home. More than 600 people complete NPD’s SnackTrack survey daily. National consumption information is collected on more than 200,000 snack occasions per year.
About The NPD Group, Inc.
Since 1967 The NPD Group has provided reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today more than 1,400 manufacturers and retailers rely on NPD to help them better understand their customers, product categories, distribution channels and competition in order to help guide their business. Information from The NPD Group is available for the following major vertical sectors: apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, food and beverage, foodservice, footwear, home improvement, housewares, imaging, information technology, music, software, travel, toys, video games, and wireless. For more information visit www.npd.com