Conagra Brands Unveils Future of Snacking 2025 Report, Spotlighting Bold Flavors, Better-For-You Choices, and On-the-Go Innovation

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Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG) has released its first Future of Snacking 2025 report, providing insights into the $148.6 billion U.S. snacking market. The comprehensive study, conducted in partnership with Circana LLC, identifies five key trends shaping consumer behavior.

The report highlights emerging trends including: bold flavor innovations beyond traditional favorites; globally-inspired snacks reaching $5.7 billion in retail sales; growing demand for better-for-you options; co-branded partnerships generating $2.1 billion in annual sales; and convenience-driven consumption with projected 39% growth in away-from-home snacking by 2027.

Comprehensive Data-Driven Report Identifies Top Five Trends Shaping the Nearly $150 Billion U.S. Snacking Market

CHICAGO, Aug. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), a leading maker of iconic snacks including Slim Jim® meat snacks, Orville Redenbacher's® popcorn, DAVID® Seeds, Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP® popcorn, and Snack Pack® desserts, released today its inaugural Future of Snacking 2025 report. Leveraging Conagra's cutting edge demand science and insights expertise, in partnership with Circana LLC, the report provides a data-driven look at the $148.6 billion U.S. snacking market and the evolving trends shaping consumer behavior.¹

The report identifies five key trends that are shaping snacking behaviors and influencing how consumers navigate an increasingly diverse snack landscape. While focused on the U.S. market, the report also covers relevant global snacking trends and behaviors.

"We've seen a transformation in consumer snacking habits in recent years. Snacking has evolved from a simple between-meal habit into a lifestyle, and winning in this space means delivering the right food at the right time," said Bob Nolan, senior vice president of demand science at Conagra Brands. "Today's consumers want bold flavors, better-for-you options, and choices that bring both taste and purpose. Our Future of Snacking report shows emerging trends and how Conagra is helping shape that future."

2025 Emerging Trends:

1. Flavor Explosion: Classic favorites like sea salt, BBQ, and nacho cheese remain top sellers, but bold newcomers—sriracha, garlic parmesan, and hot honey—are driving rapid growth.² Social media-fueled trends, including pickle-flavored-everything, are influencing both retail and foodservice menus, signaling consumer demand for adventurous taste experiences.

2. Snacking Without Borders: Globally inspired snacks are booming, with retail sales hitting $5.7 billion and 22% volume growth over the past three years.³ Younger consumers are driving interest in flavors like gochujang, sweet chili, and mango habanero, reflecting a shift toward multicultural taste exploration.⁴

3. Better-for-You Snacking: Protein-forward, portion-controlled, and nutrient-dense snacks are on the rise—especially among Gen Z and Millennials.⁵ Subcategories like meat sticks, nuts, seeds, and probiotic-enhanced snacks are outpacing total category growth, and "grass-fed" and "gut health" claims are resonating with wellness-focused shoppers.⁶⁷⁸

4. Co-Branded Bites: Strategic partnerships with restaurant, retail, and entertainment brands are fueling growth, with co-branded snacks generating nearly $2.1 billion in combined annual sales.⁹ Flavorful collaborations with fan-favorite sauces, candy brands, and more are bringing instant recognition and craveable appeal to the snack aisle.

5. Snacks on the Go: Convenience in snacking isn't just about grab-and-go packaging anymore, it's about being everywhere consumers are. In fact, Convenience is driving consumption, with away-from-home snack occasions projected to grow 39% by 2027.¹⁰ From bulk-buys online, to snack-sized treats at store checkouts, snacks are winning by showing up in more places, more often, in the right format for every occasion.  

The full report can be viewed here: Conagra Brands' Future of Snacking 2025 Report

About Conagra Brands
Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading branded food companies. We combine a 100-year history of making quality food with agility and a relentless focus on collaboration and innovation. The company's portfolio is continuously evolving to satisfy consumers' ever-changing food preferences. Conagra's brands include Birds Eye®, Duncan Hines®, Healthy Choice®, Marie Callender's®, Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Angie's® BOOMCHICKAPOP®, and many more. As a corporate citizen, we aim to do what's right for our business, our employees, our communities and the world. Headquartered in Chicago, Conagra Brands generated fiscal 2025 net sales of nearly $12 billion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. 

About the Future of Snacking 2025 Report:
Conagra Brands proudly shares the first edition of the Future of Snacking Report. A companion to Conagra's annual Future of Frozen Food Reports about the state of frozen foods, this report leverages Conagra's cutting edge demand science and insights expertise. In addition, we partnered with Circana, LLC to provide robust sales data and in-home consumption behaviors from its National Eating Trends® report. This report provides a comprehensive, data-driven look at the future of the $148.6 billion U.S. snacking industry, as defined by Circana, LLC.  The Future of Snacking 2025 report can be reviewed in its entirety on the Conagra Brands website.

Media Inquiries:
media@conagra.com

Citations:

1. Circana, LLC, Total US - MULO+ with Conv, Total Snacking Universe, Dollar Sales, 52 WE Mar 23, 2025
2. Circana, LLC, Total US - MULO+ with Conv, Multi-Attribute Flavor/Form Sizing, US, Savory Flavor Profiles, Dollar Sales and Volume Sales % Change v. YA, 52 WE Apr 20, 2025
3. Circana, LLC, Total US – MULO+ with Conv, Total Global Snacking, Dollar Sales and Sum of Vol v. 3YA, 52 WE May 25, 2025
4. Circana, LLC, Total US – All Outlets, Global Snacks by Generation, Dollar Index, 52 WE May 18, 2025
5. Circana, LLC, Total US – MULO+, Future of Snacking Universe, Health and Wellness Claims by Generation, Dollar Index to Total Snacking Spend, 52 WE June 15, 2025
6. Circana, LLC, Total US – MULO+, Total Future of Snacking Universe v. Better For You Subcategory, Volume Sales % Change v. 3YA, 52 WE May 25, 2025
7. Circana, LLC, Total US – MULO+ with Conv and Label Insights, Dried Meat Snacks, 100% Grass-Fed, Volume Growth v. YA, YE Apr 20, 2025
8. Circana, LLC, Total US – MULO+ with Conv and Label Insights, Total Bars & Other Snacks, Contains Probiotics, Volume Growth v. YA, YE Apr 20, 2025
9. Source: Source: Circana, LLC, Total US - MULO+ with Conv, US, Total Restaurant Co-Branded Licensing in Snacks, Total Media Co-Branded Licensing in Snacks, Total Retail Brand Co-Branded Licensing in Snacks, Dollar Sales, 52 WE Apr 20, 2025
10. Source: Circana, LLC, SnackTrack®, Snack Foods Eaten Away From Home, Annual Eatings Per Capita % Growth, 2020 v. F2027

 

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SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.

FAQ

What are the key trends identified in Conagra Brands' (CAG) Future of Snacking 2025 report?

The report identifies five key trends: 1) Flavor explosion with bold newcomers, 2) Globally inspired snacks reaching $5.7B in sales, 3) Better-for-you snacking growth, 4) Co-branded partnerships generating $2.1B in sales, and 5) Convenience-driven consumption with 39% projected growth in away-from-home occasions by 2027.

How large is the U.S. snacking market according to Conagra's 2025 report?

According to the report, the U.S. snacking market is valued at $148.6 billion.

What is the projected growth for away-from-home snacking by 2027?

The report projects 39% growth in away-from-home snack occasions by 2027.

Which consumer demographics are driving better-for-you snacking trends?

According to the report, Gen Z and Millennials are primarily driving the growth in protein-forward, portion-controlled, and nutrient-dense snacks.

How much revenue do co-branded snacks generate annually according to Conagra?

Co-branded snacks generate $2.1 billion in combined annual sales through strategic partnerships with restaurant, retail, and entertainment brands.