If you thought the worldwide snack attack was about to let up, think again.

Take, for example, the Specialty Food Association’s (SFA) trendspotter panel’s annual list of what to look for. Snacking, under the heading Girl Dinner 2.0, takes the top spot.

Snacking is here to stay, according to the panel, with “freestyle format and flavor combinations infusing new energy into the red-hot category.”

“Consumers will become even more flexible with how they eat,” said trendspotter Melanie Bartelme. “Most US consumers eat traditional meals every day, but snacking is on the rise. Savvy food and drink brands will help consumers see the products they make as suitable for however consumers choose to eat them. Think pizza cupcakes for lunch, jianbing for dinner, and dumplings as a snack.”

Also cited as one of the top trends driving growth in SFA’s 2024-25 State of the Specialty Food Industry research, snacking is gaining nuance and seeing new innovations all the time, according to the association.

Look for “familiar snacks with a twist,” said trendspotter Jeannie Houchins, such as Fishwife’s tinned seafood, Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn, Acme’s Lox in a Box snack kit, Firehook Crackers, Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice Ramen, Brooklyn Cured charcuterie and Goodnow Farms Chocolate.

“The specialty food market is uniquely powerful at pointing the way forward for the larger food industry, because the makers of specialty products respond first to changing consumer preferences and values,” said Leana Salamah, SFA’s senior vice president of marketing and communications.“

Looking to 2025, trends like the increasing appetite for real sugar over artificial or the upscaling of cooking at home with premium ingredients will absolutely be reflected in more “mainstream” outlets.

Watch fast-casual restaurants, convenience stores, and other chains adopt these consumer-driven trends, and you’ll clearly understand the value of staying on top of emerging specialty food trends, according to the association.

Mondelez’s annual State of Snacking report, consumers are snacking:

• Consistently - Snack spending remains unchanged with two-thirds (66%) of consumers agreeing they have not made significant changes to their spend on snacks, despite being more conscious of price.

• Mindfully - 85% of consumers report they regularly savor a snack’s taste, flavor and texture while eating; 78% say they appreciate snacks more when consumed mindfully.

• Adventurously - Consumers surveyed are leveraging social media (62%) and searching for novelty, with six in 10 considering themselves “snack adventurers” who like to try new snacks.

• Purposefully – More than two-thirds of global consumers agree they often choose brands that align with their values, fueling a rising appetite for snacks with sustainability benefits.