Snacking has developed from a low-cost, indulgent behavior to a way of life follow that delivers each nourishment and performance all through the day.
“Snacking is about what suits your life now,” mentioned Liz Kang, co-founder and CEO of Mamame Complete Meals, at our Progress Asia Summit 2025 earlier this 12 months.
She outlined the evolution of snacking from the Nineteen Fifties – when snacks have been greasy, salty, and addictive – to 2025, an period that focuses on conscious consuming.
“The narrative has shifted. Intestine well being, blood sugar, vitality crashes – shoppers are paying consideration. The wellness wave didn’t kill snacks, but it surely did kill the phantasm that every one snacks are created equal.
“We’re not simply searching for style. We wish snacks that do one thing. Extra protein – fewer components, no seed oils, no nonsense,” Kang mentioned.
At this time’s shoppers are extra acutely aware about how meals impacts their efficiency and well-being.
This in flip shapes product branding.
“Folks will nonetheless eat Doritos or Flamin’ Sizzling Cheetos as a result of they’re tasty. However the fashionable skilled, the trendy mom, and the trendy teenager – they’re asking: ‘Is that this going to present me a crash earlier than my afternoon assembly?’ Or, ‘Does this give me sufficient protein and fibre earlier than I hit the gymnasium?’
“All of those evolving thought processes are shaping the trendy client – they usually’re shaping our model together with it.”
Understanding the market wants for snacking will due to this fact information product growth and branding.
The rise of practical heritage meals
In accordance with Innova Markets Insights, 73% of worldwide shoppers search practical advantages from their meals.
Snack large Mondelez Worldwide’s 2024 International State of Snacking report confirmed that 74% shoppers will swap to completely different snack manufacturers with the next high quality, with 7 in 10 world shoppers preferring snacks with top quality diet.
There’s additionally a revival in heritage meals preparation strategies, comparable to fermentation – pushed by rising scientific validation of probiotics and their advantages for intestine and general well being.
“These superfoods, rooted in deep cultural histories, at the moment are being tailored into fashionable codecs to raised attain immediately’s shoppers,” mentioned Kang.
For instance, the market is seeing elevated recognition of snack codecs utilizing conventional components and fermentation strategies like quinoa, millet, kombucha, acai, and kimchi.
Kang quoted findings from Innova Market Insights 2025, which confirmed that 60% of shoppers usually tend to belief meals with cultural heritage or custom.
Moreover, manufacturers emphasising origin and heritage see greater client engagement and repeat buy intent – it is a key technique for Mamame, which specialises in tempeh chips.
What’s tempeh?
Tempeh is a standard Indonesian meals produced from fermented soybeans, pressed right into a agency, cake-like patty. Wealthy in plant-based protein and gut-friendly vitamins, it has a hearty texture and nutty flavour. Tempeh is very in style amongst vegetarians and vegans as a flexible, meat-free protein choice.
Redefining snacks for immediately’s shoppers
“Tempeh isn’t imagined to be a snack. However in a world the place perform is the brand new flavour, it simply is smart,” mentioned Kang.
Mamame’s tempeh chips retain the advantages of a centuries-old superfood with 10g protein per bag – which is equal to taking two eggs.
In addition they comprise 0.8mcg vitamin D and 12mg calcium per serving – vitamins not generally present in snack meals, mentioned Kang.
She added that Mamame makes use of non-GMO black-eyed peas, that are non-allergic and environmentally pleasant.
Nevertheless, Kang acknowledged the complexities of navigating completely different market perceptions.
US and Europe shoppers are open to embracing more healthy snack options, however training round tempeh is crucial since it’s an Asian ingredient.
In Asia, tempeh could also be a well-known staple, however it’s typically perceived as a low worth ingredient, particularly in South East Asia.
The problem is in shifting perceptions, mentioned Kang, emphasising that Mamame will not be launching one other potato chip. Somewhat, the model is constructing a class by storytelling by “honouring custom whereas enabling entry”.
“Mamame didn’t invent tempeh or tempeh chips – we merely gave a clean-label tackle a beloved meals, utilizing black-eyed peas and coconut oil to supply another for contemporary snacking,” mentioned Kang.
She concluded by underscoring Mamame’s ambition to reshape on a regular basis snacking habits by establishing new consumption “defaults”.
The aim, she mentioned, is to turn into the snack of alternative throughout informal, shared moments – whether or not it’s consuming chips with dips at a celebration or watching TV with buddies.
Kang drew a parallel to how popcorn grew to become synonymous with movie-going after the Nice Despair, because of a surplus of corn and oil.
Equally, Mamame is actively exploring how its merchandise can naturally combine into shoppers’ day by day routines, figuring out key moments within the client’s day the place the model can present up meaningfully.
