Moms Choose Simple Goodness for After-school Snacks

After-school snacking is an important segment of the snack-eating occasion, which totals $93 billion and is growing. More than 60 percent of children snack while doing homework, and more than 70 percent of children snack while they watch television.

New research compiled by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy outlines what moms are looking for in snack choices for their children. It shows they seek snacks that provide simple goodness over trendy ingredients, including options that offer balanced nutrition and “good” versus empty calories.

Fresh and real top the list of important snack product attributes for moms. Being a good source of vitamins is next, followed by being a good source of protein and calcium.

Dairy is a natural fit when consumers seek fresh products; they find options such as cheese, yogurt and smoothies all appealing when looking for freshness. Plus, dairy’s nutrient-rich profile also makes it a highly attractive snacking option. In fact, milk and dairy are significant sources of many of the nutrients most Americans are not getting enough of, including calcium, vitamin D, potassium and magnesium.

Taste is another main driver, and moms seek snacks they know their children love. Dairy choices help moms provide nutritious snack opportunities for their children that still offer appealing flavors.

Learn more at www.USdairy.com.

Lynn Stachura is senior vice president of strategic insights with Dairy Management Inc. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy provides a forum for the dairy industry to work pre-competitively to address barriers to and opportunities for innovation and sales growth. The Innovation Center is supported and staffed by DMI.