Food Companies Are Turning Everything Into Snacks — No One May Ever Have To Cook Again

Spam snacks and “Peanut Butter Bites” have replaced meals, according to major food corporations as they are currently in the process of turning everything into snacks.

Before everything we eat was turned into a snack, people only munched on traditional snacks like chips, pretzels, or a bag of beef jerky if you really have money to blow on snacking.

The Associated Press reports that now, major food companies like Tyson are upping the ante on everything you thought you knew about snacks by turning their main-course-worthy chicken into graze-as-you-go snacks.

Tyson’s Hillshire snack packs features cut-up chicken pieces which promises to be a low-fat, protein-packed snack.

Hillshire snacking taps @Andy to promote new natural-influenced, premium snack line https://t.co/RHIdLKPKMo pic.twitter.com/IKxrMP6FKf

— NOSH (@noshdotcom) February 4, 2016

The snack has been dubbed, “Lunchables for Adults.”

TalkBusiness says that Tyson Foods has spent the past couple of years turning itself from a commodity-based meat protein producer into a global food company.

The chicken company is calling the process Tyson Foods “2.0.” Tyson has a lot in store for their products — including pizza toppings, tortillas, soups, sauces, appetizers, etc. — in the future, but producing more snacks for consumers is one of one of the main objectives.

Other companies are following in the chicken company’s attempt at turning everything into a snack.

Canned meat maker Hormel has released their 220-calorie “Spam Snacks,” which is basically dried chunks of Spam Jerky.

If that snack doesn’t sound delectably savory enough for you, or you just prefer something sweeter, then Kellogg’s will satisfy your sugary desires with their “To Go Pouches.”

USA Today reported that for whatever reason, people simply aren’t eating cereal, or breakfast for that matter, as much as they used to.

Therefore, the company expanded their market by turning breakfast into anytime snacks. However, Kellogg’s probably made their intentions of doing so abundantly clear when they introduced flavors such as these years ago,

Interesting favors @KelloggsUS #Poptarts pic.twitter.com/S0sJPlrNkl

— Dolfan Derek (@Dolfin55) January 23, 2016

Even Hershey’s is trying to become more of a snacks player with “snack mixes” that seem like trail mix, except with Reese’s peanut butter cups and mini chocolate bars (280 calories per package).

Marcel Nahm, head of Hershey’s chocolates for North America, gave his expertise on the phenomena of turning everything into snacks.

“People are snacking more and more, sometimes instead of meals, sometimes with meals, and sometimes in between meals.”

Having a snack-sustained diet sounds like the way of the future, but some dietitian are expressing their concerns regarding the trend heralded by food companies of turning everything into snacks.

San Antonio-based dietitian Claudia Zapata noted that calories from snacks should be about 250 calories maximum for the purpose of holding you over to your next meal.

“Well, that was the point of snacks back then. I don’t know what the point is now,” she said.

Zapata added that turning your entire diet into a snack based one could lead to over eating, and eating when you’re not really hungry.

“It may be that you just need water,” she said.

But consumers love convenience. And if instant gratification can be given with the tear of a pouch in an era where supply and demand is more prompt than ever, then why not turn your diet into snacks?

“I don’t like things that have to be assembled,” said Bridget Callahan, a snack-dieter and freelance writer in Wilmington, North Carolina.

A lot of people can relate to Bridget’s comments. Do you find yourself consuming snacks like her?

What do you think of the food industry turning everything into snacks?

[AP Photo/Mark Lennihan]