Snacking Trends Heading into 2022

Margaret Hudson
President, Burnbrae Farms
4^th Generation Farmer

In addition to enjoying the holiday season with my family, one of the great things about this time of year is reading about next year’s forecasted foods trends. Here at Burnbrae Farms, we like to track ingredient, flavour and consumer insights, so we can continue to develop products that meet the needs of our fellow Canadians. We’re also foodies, so we love to try what’s new!

Snacks in the morning

And what’s hot for 2022? An increase in snacking – especially in the morning. With many people still working from home due to the pandemic, there’s more time for leisurely coffee breaks and morning snacks, such as a hard-boiled eggs, muffins or smoothies. New market research from The Hartman Group shows that nearly 25 percent of consumers currently eat early morning snacks. This is up from 17-18 percent of consumers is 2019-20.

We love this morning snack idea, and have developed many recipes to fit the hot trend:

- Cheddar-herb egg stuffed muffins
- Egg & avocado toast
- Smoked salmon snack box
- Banana berry smoothie
- Apple cinnamon streusel muffins
- Green goddess smoothie

We can’t have a morning snack without a morning coffee, and that trend remains hot. Coffee sales have increased at grocery stores, meaning more people are buying beans and brewing coffee at home, rather than picking up coffee to-go. Cold coffee is the trend of the moment, with people making ‘cold foam’ with at-home frothers. Delicious!

Snacks all day

Afternoon and evening snacks are still popular with Canadians, who are looking for options that are convenient, nutritious, readily available and delicious. Snacking plates are always a great idea. They are mini versions of popular charcuterie boards , which boast a variety of cheeses, deli meats, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, dried fruit and crackers. You can keep sliced meats, cheese and EGGS2go! Omega 3 Hard Boiled Snack Packs in the fridge, and make single-serve charcuterie plates for a mid-day snack. No cooking required!

Canadians also like snacks made from simple ingredients, and are still super-conscious of foods that are good for the planet or have a low environmental footprint. Eggs are a great choice because they have a low carbon footprint. Canadian egg farmers now produce 68 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, use 81 percent less land, 41 percent less energy and 69 percent less water versus 50 years ago.

Here are some fun ways to enjoy eggs as part of quick afternoon or evening snacks:

- Try Burnbrae Farms’ new Egg Bites! Mini Crustless Quiches , which come in Pizza Deluxe and Tex Mex flavours
- Use Burnbrae Farms’ EGGS2go! hard boiled eggs in these Cobb Salad Skewers or these By the sea devilled eggs
- Snacking with the kids? Make these fun and nutritious Smiling snowmen

Some snack trends we’ll have our eye on for 2022 include an increase in the popularity of sunflower seeds in snack bars; snacks flavoured with turmeric, which is known as an anti-inflammatory spice; snacks being flavoured with yuzu, a tart citrus fruit that tastes great in beverages and baked goods; and vitamin C-rich moringa powder added to smoothies and protein bars.

As a company, Burnbrae Farms will continue to innovate and bring healthy, convenient, quick and delicious egg-based snacks to Canadian consumers, because we know that’s exactly what you’re looking for.

Margaret Hudson, President & CEO

Burnbrae Farms