CHICAGO — A recently released survey from meat snack brand Chomps explained consumers are seeking protein 36% of the time for snack occasions. Protein snacks currently make up 19% of retail sales in the total category, according to the company.

Chomps stated that protein snacks account for $24 billion in the snack industry, but retailers and product creations struggle to keep pace with consumer habits.

Some key findings from the study showed that new protein-based products have doubled since 2017 to 13%, but they still need some larger investment.

“Consumers are actively seeking high-quality, protein-forward, and real ingredient snack options, yet the snacking industry has been slow to respond with meaningful innovation,” said Matt Landen, senior vice president of business development at Chomps. “At Chomps, we’re seeing firsthand how new consumer groups — especially millennials, Gen Z and women—are embracing protein snacks in new ways. This is not just a trend; this is a permanent shift in how people snack.”

The study pointed out that younger consumers, like Gen Z and millennials, continue to push the growth as those groups account for 34% of protein snack consumers compared to 29% in 2019.

Chomps also explained how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs shift some consumers toward protein snacks that include the meat along with yogurt and nutrition bars.

The information for the study was put together in August 2024, when 2,550 consumer survey responses were recorded that looked to recent snacking occasion details, such as time of day, location, products and brands consumed for each to inform this work.

More details on the study can be found here.