To keep up with the competition, brands are capturing consumer attention through rotating calendars of limited-time offerings (LTOs). These seasonal snacking solutions can have wide-ranging influences, incorporating trending ingredients, flavors, textures, and formats.
What should you focus on to entice active consumers seeking better-for-you formulas to suit on-the-go lifestyles?
Trending Formats
For health-conscious (and hungry) consumers, high-protein snacks are still on top. Bars from brands like RxBar, Kind, and Quest offer convenience paired with simple ingredients, lasting fullness, and appealing flavors.
Recipes for no-bake energy bites have been trending on social media, thanks to natural ingredients like seeds and nut butter, along with dates for sweetness in place of refined sugar. Crispy cereal clusters take the concept of granola bars to the next level with healthy grains and protein-packed nuts.
Seasonal Flavors
It’s important to stay ahead of seasonal trends if you want your LTOs to deliver a dose of attention-grabbing novelty. This means that summer LTOs should take full advantage of fresh, fruity flavors.
Tropical fruits are a shoo-in, with options like mango and passionfruit offering standalone appeal, along with the ideal pairing of kiwi with strawberry or other classics.
Bright, zesty citrus provides a refreshing bite that gets powered up by innovative herb blends — think mint, basil, or rosemary. For snacks that play up sweetness, consider nostalgic summer desserts like s’mores, key lime pie, or strawberry shortcake.
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Functional Additions
Functional ingredients have made their way into beverages, dairy products, and more, so why not LTO snacks? A few years ago, adding collagen peptides to popcorn was all the rage. Newer iterations of the collagen popcorn trend involve including it in bars with nut butters, honey, and chocolate chunks.
Thanks to convenient probiotic dried fruit snacks from brands like Nature’s Garden and Align, active consumers don’t have to rely on yogurt to maintain gut health. Energy-boosting adaptogens like ashwagandha are also popping up everywhere, from beverages like HOPWTR and Turveda to protein bars from NatureBox.
Electrolytes are easy to find in sports drinks, but GoGo squeeZ targets its electrolyte pouches to active adults looking for an on-the-go snack that offers greater satisfaction with no added sugars. In short, nearly any snack can benefit from the right functional additions.
Related: Summer BBQ Season is Approaching— Smoky, Grilled & Full of Flavor
Texture Trends
The best snacks for active consumers provide not only convenience but comfort appeal, with flavors and textures that satisfy cravings.
Some consumers like the squish of a creamy center, while others prefer a layered crunch. Most of them, however, love double-layer, dual-texture protein bars with a chewy or doughy center paired with a crunchier nut or nougat outer layer.
Your job is to figure out how to achieve these textures with a healthy twist. One great option to explore is toasted grains. Although Justin’s Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Cups aren’t exactly a health food, the inclusion of crisped organic quinoa for crunch is inspired.
Packaging and Format Innovations
One upside of a competitive market is that forward-looking brands can seize on new opportunities to provide consumers with choices. For snack packaging, consider options like mini bars that let consumers start small and increase servings, as desired.
For summer snacking, multiflavor seasonal packs make it easy to attract curious consumers. These packs are also appealing to shoppers who need to please a party of picky eaters. Updated product displays can play on the urgency of seasonal LTOs.
On-the-Go Snacks Get Better in Every Way
Consumers in 2025 have high standards for healthy snacks. They demand on-the-go convenience paired with exceptional flavors, textures, and functional inclusions. With LTOs that take advantage of summer ingredients, brands have opportunities to test new recipes and gain consumer feedback for future product innovation.
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