Kolkata: Lexically, snack means a small service of food, generally eaten between meals, but in India, snacks are increasingly being swapped for meals, finds a survey. Believe it or not, an average adult Indian eats more snacks than meals on a given day.

More than 7 in 10 average adult in India say they snack more today than they did a year ago, that is 71 per cent versus the global average of +22 per cent. It doesn’t stop there; 67 per cent say they plan to snack more often in the next year while the global average for this +25 per cent. These are the findings of Mondelez International’s maiden “State of Snacking Report: A Global Consumer Trend Study.”

The study was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the Nasdaq-listed Mondelez International Inc between September 16 and September 27, 2019, among 6,068 global adults with ages of 18 years and above.

Hold your breath. The Mondelez study has many more interesting things to offer. Indians are more likely than those in other countries to participate in cultural snacking rituals daily (47 per cent, compared to a global average of +15 per cent), with three in four, or 75 per cent, Indian adults saying that food is a major part of their identity. Seven out of ten say they connect with their culture through the snacks they eat--68 per cent versus the global average of +10 per cent.

Snacking also triggers nostalgia and a sense of belonging. As high as 77 per cent millennials say some of their fondest childhood memories include sharing a snack with their parents. Balanced indulgence seems to be a priority for Indian snackers, “Moments of indulgence continue to have an important place in daily routines. 80 per cent of consumers agree there is a time and a place for a healthy snack, and a time and a place for an indulgent one,” the study says.

Deepak Iyer, President, Mondelez India, on his parts, said, “With this study, we’ve examined the relationship people have with snacking, the functional and emotional role it plays in day-to-day life, and how the future of food is changing. In India, snacking is more than just what we eat, it is a tradition and an important part of our cultural identity.”

The Mondelez survey spanned 12 markets, including the US (504), Canada (506), Mexico (505), Brazil (515), France (501), Germany (503), the UK (501), Russia (515), China (503), India (508), Indonesia (504), and Australia (504).

Other key groups analysed include: centennials ages 18-22 (602), Millennials ages 23-38 (2,404), Gen Xers ages 39-54 (1,702), Boomers ages 55-73 (1,236), and the Silent Generation ages 75+ (124).

“This survey is another strong pedestal to showcase that our vision to lead the future of snacking is perfectly aligned with the growing demand for snacks,” said Siddhartha Mukherjee, Senior Director–Strategy, Insights & Analytics at Mondelez India.