Overall competition for meal solutions is increasing as the restaurant industry rebounds. Industry market and consumer insights tracker NPD Group, Chicago, says the US restaurant industry ended 2021 better than the year began. Moreover, NPD predicts industry operators could recover 98% of pre-pandemic visits by the end of 2022.

For manufacturers, it’s good that one-third of American consumers say they have snacked more often during the past 12 months according to Innova Market Insights’ 2021 Lifestyle & Attitudes Survey. That’s in contrast to the 24% who said they snacked less.

“I’d never had a cauliflower cracker growing up,” recalls King, the senior marketing manager at Mary’s Gone Crackers, Reno, NV. “And the idea of ‘gluten-free’ was unheard of. The ingredient lists on most of the crackers I ate were a lot longer, too.”

One-fifth of US consumers described themselves over the past year as “highly stressed on a daily basis,” per Innova’s 2021 Health & Nutrition Survey. The good news is that stress management is easier thanks to an array of new bakery products in 2021.

Want to listen to industry news and views on the way to work? Catch a quick video on a lunchbreak? Prepared Foods now goes anywhere—and everywhere—to cover critical topics.

In 2021, 78% of people said they were more likely to purchase a product clearly labeled as “environmentally friendly."

Sales of natural and organic products, including food and beverage, supplements, household, and personal care categories, are on track to surpass $300 billion by 2023 and $400 billion by 2030.