Fruit is #1 Snack Food Consumed By Kids.

Perhaps adults can learn some healthy eating tips from kids. The NPD Group finds that kids eat fresh fruit more often than any other snack-oriented food. It is the top snack food consumed by boys and girls between ages 2 and 12. Everyday NPD’s SnackTrack? study collects snack food consumption habits for both kids and adults. NPD also tracks the situations when snack foods are consumed to give a complete picture of Americans’ snacking habits.

“There’s not much current data available on the actual eating patterns of kids in this country, but at The NPD Group thousands of people a year provide us with information on their daily snacking habits. And while chips, cookies and candy are among the most popular snack foods, it’s surprising to see that the number one category of snacks consumed by children is fresh fruit,” said Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group. “As people age fruit drops down a little on the list, but it still remains one of the most popular snacks at any age. Later in life, fresh fruit will become the most popular again,” said Balzer.

Snacking has always been a more important part of a child’s diet than an adult’s diet. Children under 18 years of age consume snack foods 23 percent more often than adults. The average child eats snack foods about 530 times per year compared to the average adult who only eats them about 430 times per year.

“While we maynot eat as much fruit as we should in this country, it’s noteworthy that fresh fruit remains one of the top snack foods in the American diet,” said Balzer.

“As we age, the importance of fruit drops as convenient snacks take hold,” said Balzer.

Chewing Gum Tops the List of Adult Snacks

Chewing gum tops the list as the number one snack food that adults, ages 18 to 54, eat during snack occasions. The NPD Group’s SnackTrack® finds that gum is ubiquitous among men and women snackers. Age is a factor in the gum-chewing habits of Americans. It begins to show up as a popular snack among kids under 13, but doesn’t rank as number one until the teenage years.

“People are just walking around waiting for this snack to happen, they don’t necessarily have to think about buying a pack of gum because it can fit anywhere and can last for a while,” said Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group. “How long will a banana last in your purse or briefcase?” said Balzer.

NPD finds that Chocolate candy is the second most popular snack food for adults under 55 years old.

“I expect that marketers will continue to look to provide adults with new offerings of gum and candy as these are their most popular snack!” said Balzer.

It’s is also worth comparing the snack choices of men and women in their snack choices ? they are more alike than different!

“Keep an eye on nuts ? a very popular food among older Americans,” said Balzer. NPD’s data shows that 28 percent of men and 24 percent of women over 65 eat nuts at least once a week compared to 13 percent of adults under 65 years of age. “Did I hear “Nuts for the Boomers?”” said Balzer.

For more information at http://www.npd.com