September 8, 2025 – Frozen snacks are a bit like the gap between snacks and proper meals. They have become part of many people’s routines because people are hungry and they want to fill that gap. Although it is not always clear when this is, there is a chance to create new products that meet the need for this. People think of indulgent brands as being the ones that should seize the moment to create food that appeals to occasions, cravings and convenience. These brands should highlight natural ingredients, real cheese, no artificial additives, or protein content.
Innova Market Insights has looked at how people’s ideas about frozen and refrigerated snacks are changing. They have also looked at what brands can do to meet the needs of people who like snacks. We are looking at what products and services people will be interested in if they are looking for something different.
Why are Frozen Snacks Not as Good as Other Snacks?
Snacks are competing with other foods for people’s attention, especially before lunch or dinner. Cereal bars are a big part of this, making up 48% of sales. They are one of the main competitors in this area. This is because people often think that frozen snacks are less healthy and more difficult to prepare. As a result, they are not often considered by consumers. Other foods that people like but don’t have to prepare or take with them are chips (46%), popcorn (42%) and tortilla chips (33%). This is made worse by the fact that two out of ten people in the United States thought about appetisers in the past year.
In the middle of all this confusion and uncertainty, the careful placement of finger food makes an appearance. Suitable for almost any occasion, the advantage it holds is that it can be consumed daily to fill a gap or nutritional boost. As lifestyles shift and preferences change, products that fit this profile while being better-for-you have a high success rate, mixing indulgence with healthy eating. Convenience and taste are two of the category’s best assets, suggesting that with the right framing and formats, frozen and refrigerated snacks can be considered more often.
Demonizing snacks has typically been an issue and is now becoming less of a problem, with consumers being less likely to buy into stigma around ingredient benefits and negatives. While the better-for-you movement is there, not every product needs to be positioned as such. Frozen snacks already possess something that many others do not in the form of highlighted real ingredient perception. The inconvenience of preparation does not need further emphasis if packaging can help with making informed decisions in ways that prioritize nutritional value, while not being over the top. Realistically, evolving snacking choices are built around functionality, as consumers look for food that fits their lifestyles as their interests evolve and habits change. This is evident by data that suggests US consumers define wellbeing as slightly more about the state of mind than the body, with 56% saying mental wellbeing is the most important aspect of feeling well, compared to physical aspects (51%).
Of course, with that said, hunger, enjoyment and energy still drive motivation for snacks, but it means brands will have to diversify to meet younger snacker needs, especially impulsive or emotionally fueled ones.
Targeting Between Occasions Will Create Frozen and Refrigerated Snack Potential
Younger adults are driving today’s growth of snack consumption, with 51% consuming finger food a few times a month or less. New snack occasions can make a substantial difference to changing consumption perceptions. As this core audience changes over time, products cannot be entirely about kids or convenience to stay on the grocery list. Options with healthier formats, flavors and nutritional assets will not only appeal to Millennials as parents, but also consumers themselves. As Generation Z moves into their next chapters of adulthood, they will have similar needs.
Demonstrating the influence of kids, couples without children were found to be more likely to reduce consumption of ready meals. Conversely, couples with children in the household were nearly twice as likely to report increased consumption. Although ready meal category participants have mostly made no changes to consumption, among those that did, costs were predictably the issue. Still, perceptions of health are more likely to drive consumers away than to attract.
Can Changing Meal and Snack Time Mean More Potential?
Versatility can help at a time when snackers are becoming conscious of increasing prices. Frozen and refrigerated snacks may therefore define the direction of the category for the future. Opportunists see the potential for less expensive solutions to full meals and dining out. While targeting nutrition can be another avenue to give consumers a reason to feel as if they are getting more from snack varieties. Snacks will be more prominent despite the importance of meals in US diets. Formats that can serve young groups of people and not be priced out of demand will continue to evolve, filling in-between occasions with versatility and value.
What’s Next in Frozen & Refrigerated Appetizers and Snacks in the US?
Better-for-you ingredients will present areas of development in line with consumer values, helping them to beat target nutritional goals while providing relief from stress or anxiety. The rise in protein-based products is not waning and will likely continue as meal times become focused and moments between them less apparent. Snack stacking or “girl dinners” are also trends that are likely to develop in one way or another, leaving brands with some work to do on finding the opportune moment in daily routines where frozen and refrigerated appetizers can step up. Portable formats that are filling will become sought after for Gen Z and Millennials, many of whom want bite-sized healthy options.
The top trending snacks in the category remain pizza-style snacks along with Mexican and hot/spicy flavors. Variations on these popular foods are easy to maintain, while both classic and emerging Asian cuisine are proving to be a popular area of innovation. Brands with value-oriented package sizes and premium-quality products can find space for lunch or dinner occasions with frozen snacks or even for individual snacking. This means that beyond the traditional party and group-snacking moments, more “downsizing” of foods such as quesadillas and nachos into snackable portions will occur.
This article is based on Innova’s Frozen & Refrigerated Appetizers & Snacks in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more