Today’s consumers are busier than ever. While personal priorities vary, hectic schedules and fast-paced lifestyles often push cooking to the bottom of the list of daily tasks.
As a result, convenience has become essential. Quick, easy, and portable snacks provide an effective solution for those on the go. This trend doesn’t indicate that families are unconcerned about their nutrition – instead, it reflects a growing demand for innovative products and formats that help families meet their nutritional needs efficiently.
Snacking: No Longer an Either/Or Dilemma
Historically, consumers have faced a dilemma when it comes to snacking, often having to choose between healthier options like fresh fruits and vegetables or more convenient packaged snacks such as chips, crackers, and bars. For many, this felt like a choice between health and convenience or sometimes even between health and satisfaction.
Fortunately, the days of this either/or approach to snacking are behind us. New alternatives have emerged, offering a “better-for-you” approach to snacking.
More than ever before, snack companies are offering healthier snacks in convenient packaging. Better-for-you snacks now cover a wider range of categories, including chips, crackers, trail mixes, meat sticks, and cheese.
Younger generations are key contributors to this trend. Data from 84.51° shows that 74% of U.S. consumers aged 18 to 35 snack a few/multiple times a day, and Mintel indicates that they prefer healthier choices. This preference goes beyond merely removing unhealthy ingredients; consumers of all ages are looking for snacks that align with their overall health goals and fulfill their nutritional needs.
Several factors influence whether consumers view a snack as healthier. Shoppers often seek simple, easy-to-understand ingredient lists, responsibly sourced ingredients, organic options, functional ingredients, and products without added or artificial sweeteners, among other criteria.
The Drum-Dried Solution
The foundation of a better-for-you snack is its ingredient list. Ideal ingredients in the better-for-you category are understandable, add real nutrition, and are appealing.
One method that allows you to include real fruits, vegetables, beans, or grains in your snacks is drum-drying. Beyond cleaner label options, drum-dried ingredients can perform various functions in food products – from quick rehydration to deep flavor. The method produces real ingredients consumers can feel good about eating.
Here are 5 specific snack-worthy benefits that make drum-dried ingredients an ideal solution to your better-for-you needs.
Benefit 1: Rich, Baked Flavor
Flavor is a huge purchasing driver in the snacking world, and it can be one of the main hurdles for better-for-you products. With drum-dried ingredients, you don’t have to compromise on flavor.
Most drum-dried products go through a cook step, drawing out flavors in the finished product reminiscent of cooked produce rather than raw. The flavor difference is especially apparent in ingredients you normally serve cooked, such as pumpkin and sweet potato. This can add a delicious, deep flavor profile to packaged snacks that can be difficult to replicate using their air-dried counterparts.
Benefit 2: Whole Foods and Serving Claims
Drum-dried ingredients are processed from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and beans, and they maintain many of the nutritional benefits of those fresh foods.
TruServ®, a program exclusive to Van Drunen Farms, allows you to connect many of our drum-dried flakes and powders to USDA-recommended fruit and vegetable servings. This means you can include serving claims on your product’s packaging while also maintaining a cleaner ingredient list.
Benefit 3: Application Versatility
The characteristics of drum-dried ingredients make them great for a host of better-for-you product applications. For example, the quick rehydration ability of drum-dried ingredients make them easy to include in cold processed snacks like puddings, yogurts, and ice creams.
For low-moisture snacks that are shelf stable – crackers, chips, pastries, and bars – the baked powders can help add a more vibrant color and deep flavor. These applications are also great for adding serving claims.
Benefit 4: Validated Kill Step
Drum-dried ingredients undergo a validated kill step, a scientifically confirmed process designed to eliminate harmful pathogens and bacteria.
By prioritizing robust safety measures, brands can differentiate themselves in a competitive market, fostering consumer loyalty and reinforcing their commitment to quality and well-being.
Benefit 5: Transparent Supply Chain
At Van Drunen Farms, we operate our own double drum dryers and leverage strong supplier partnerships to guarantee a premium final ingredient.
This traceability means you can confidently highlight the quality and safety of your products, reassuring consumers that every ingredient is sourced with care and integrity. We emphasize a commitment to quality and transparency so you can too.
Want to learn more about how drum-dried ingredients can enhance your better-for-you snack portfolio?