Category Analysis: Snacking
Manufacturers have elevated the snacking space into a destination filled with better-for-options, delectable flavors and ingredients that complement jams, cheeses and meats to provide a well-rounded snacking occasion for consumers. The focus is on mindful snacking and clean eating, and these companies are positioned to help consumers adopt healthier lifestyle choices throughout the year.
“It’s funny—15 years ago, eating ‘healthy’ was a two-week New Year’s resolution,” said 7 Mile Brands CEO Sam Kestenbaum. “Today, nutrition, macros, and ingredient awareness are simply how the modern consumer lives. We’re seeing resolutions shift away from vague ideas like ‘eat cleaner’ toward specific behavior changes—reducing sugar, avoiding fried foods, and choosing baked, simpler snacks that still deliver on taste and enjoyment. [Our product] PRETZELIZED fits squarely into that mindset. It’s an all-natural, oven-baked snack that satisfies the way people actually snack today—more often, more socially, and increasingly in place of traditional meals. That’s where we see real, sustainable category growth coming from.”
In 2026, Partners is focused on supporting consumers who want to be more mindful about what they eat while maintaining the enjoyment and satisfaction of snacking. “As crackers are increasingly used across both snack and meal occasions, we are helping consumers simplify meal and snack preparation through pairing ideas and versatile usage solutions,” said Cara Figgins, President of Partners, a Tasteful Choice Company. “Our portfolio has long served entertaining, meal, and snacking occasions, and we are strengthening that position by emphasizing intentional ingredients and a no-shortcuts approach to product development. Success in this category comes from delivering the right balance of texture and flavor—the ideal crunch paired with exceptional taste—to create thoughtfully crafted crackers consumers can enjoy with confidence.”
Nature’s Garden is committed to driving category growth through disruptive innovation. “Pursuing the next in snacking defines our daily operations; it is the heartbeat of the Functional Snacking movement we helped pioneer and now lead,” said Aiden Mould, Senior Brand Manager for Nature’s Garden. “We are focused on value-add functionality, integrating benefits like probiotics into everyday formats to bridge the gap between permissible indulgence and wellness. Moreover, we are leaning into newstalgia, reimagining classic snack profiles through modern lenses. Our recent launch of Clusters is a prime example, meeting consumer demand for familiar comforts delivered via innovative formats, bold flavor profiles, and both exciting and enticing packaging. Our 2026 pipeline is built to epitomize this dual approach of reinvention and discovery.”
7 Mile Brands intends to lead the conversation around category reinvention rather than flavor rotation. “The snack industry has spent years cycling new flavors through tired formats,” Kestenbaum said. “We believe the real growth comes from reimagining the format itself. PRETZELIZED proves that when you take an everyday product and fundamentally upgrade it, consumers respond—quickly and repeatedly. In 2026, we want to lead discussions around: reviving mature categories instead of abandoning them; why brand matters more than ever in a sea of functional sameness; why velocity—not SKU count—should guide retailer decisions, and why experiential retail, sampling, and field execution still matter. Innovation isn’t about more SKUs. It’s about better ideas.”
For more than three decades, Partners has been a leader in the artisan specialty cracker category and will continue to guide the category’s trajectory. “In 2026, we will continue leading conversations around premium pantry snacks that combine a variety of usage occasions with accessible value and uncompromising quality,” Figgins said. “Our focus remains on delivering high-quality, slow-baked, clean-label products that bring artisan quality to everyday snacking while meeting consumer expectations for versatility, quality, and need for value.”
Nature’s Garden aims to be the benchmark for category evolution. “We want to lead the conversation on how brands can push the boundaries of white space opportunities while simultaneously reinvigorating legacy segments,” Mould said. “Our internal barometer is simple: Is this truly novel, and does it provide distinct consumer value? It is paramount that we avoid ‘me-too’ product development. Instead, we lead through format innovation and democratizing access to high-end functional ingredients without compromising on the most critical factor: taste equity. We are restless by design, ensuring Nature’s Garden is synonymous with accessible, better-for-you products that never sacrifice the joy of snacking.”
7 Mile Brands’ top strategic focus is scaling brands, not lines, with PRETZELIZED leading nationally, Kestenbaum said, “Everything in 2026 leads back to: driving household penetration; winning on shelf through velocity and visibility; expanding usage occasions without fragmenting the brand and supporting retail partners with execution, not just concepts. PRETZELIZED is now a proven growth engine across both deli and center store.”
