5 Snack trends that will change how you snack in 2020

As a new decade approaches, snack trends will continue to evolve in ways that foodies wouldn’t have expected ten years ago. How will you snack in 2020?

Can you guess the predicted 2020 snack trends? Looking ahead into both a new year and a new decade, the food world is trying to determine what, how and why people will eat certain snacks. While snacking will always be part of any lifestyle, the hows and whys continue to evolve.

Looking back on the past year, snacking trends took a wide and varied approach. While classic flavors will never fade, bold flavors seemed to take over the snack aisle. From Sriracha Doritos to Flamin’ Hot everything, snackers definitely gravitated to the spice.

According to Frito Lay, the bold, heat forward flavor trend looks to continue. Beyond just being labeled “spicy,” snackers are looking for specific peppers. From habanero to ghost pepper or hatch to chipotle, look to specific peppers being up front on the label.

These pepper and heat specific snacks can help foodies better understand their heat tolerance. Additionally, it can help snackers experiment with the bold. Maybe if you can handle habanero, you might work up the courage to sample ghost peppers.

While spice continues to be a foodie favorite, other global flavors are finding their way to the snack aisle. Flavors like yuzo and gochujang will find their way into the snack bag.

Just as foodies are exploring global flavors on their plate, they want those flavors in the snack bowl. Why can’t a potato chip absorb these global flavors?

As foodies embrace exotic fruits, they are bringing those citrus forward flavors into snack time as well. Foodies should look for budha hand and other citrus-infused sour snacks to transform some of their favorite snacks. If you like lime on your tortilla chip, could these flavors transform your salsa scooper?

Although snacking is part of a healthy lifestyle, consumers are looking for good for you snack options. Even though some people love their kale chips, consumers want snacks that are functional and enjoyable. From extra protein to more fiber, there are many ways to add some good for you ingredients to that favorite snack.

A new idea for snack trends is the idea of multipurpose snacks. As people look to reduce stress and anxiety, the snack aisle is embracing those lifestyle ideals. Frito Lay predicts that some snacks will start to include ingredients with healing properties.

For example, one idea is to add lavender to reduce stress. As long as the flavors are approachable for the general consumer, these multipurpose snacks could be the biggest trend of the year. When a snack can be more than just a tasty treat, it could revolutionize the snack aisle.

Lastly, snacking continues to be a personal preference. One snack does not necessarily fit all and Frito Lay understands that concept. With more than 1,200 products and more than 30 brands, there is a snack for everyone and any occasion.

These snack trends are just a few ideas of the snacking items that could be coming to store shelves in 2020. While everyone has her own opinion, it will be curious to see which ideas that consumers embrace. No one would have thought that Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle would have been such a huge hit?

What do you think will be 2020 biggest snack trends? More importantly, what is your favorite snack that you can’t live without?