(P13-043-25) Trends in Snacking in the United States: A Serial Cross-Sectional Study Using Data From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2023

Objectives: There is interest in the impact of snacking on diet quality. Recent trends in snacking behaviors are unknown.

Methods: Dietary intake data for 68,392 participants ≥ 2y came from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) 2005-2023. Between meal snacks were defined as those containing solid food (e.g., beverages consumed alone were excluded). Thirteen categories of foods that were commonly consumed as snacks were identified (e.g., potato chips, nuts, whole fruit). Survey-weighted linear regression assessed trends in snacking calories. Participants were divided into four groups based on energy form snacks: none, T1: >0-13.4%E;T2:13.4-27.2%E;T3:≥27.2%E. Diet quality was measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015). Diet quality analyses were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and family income.

Results: From 2005-2023, snacks contributed 18.4% of total energy. Snacking calories did not change over time (range: 366 to 408 kcal/d; p-trend=0.37). There were no significant changes for snack calories from potato chips, other chips, popcorn, pretzels, crackers, cakes/pies, and doughnuts/pastries (p-trend >0.13 for all). Increased snack calories were seen for nuts/seeds, whole fruit, and cookies/brownies (p-trend < 0.001). Decreased snack calories were observed for chocolate and non-chocolate candy (p-trend < 0.025). Individuals consuming snacks had higher HEI-2015 scores (50.8 [T3] vs. 47.7 [none]; p< 0.001). This difference is driven by snackers having higher intakes of whole grains, seafood/plant protein, and whole fruit, and lower intakes of sodium and refined grains. At the same time snackers had lower intake of vegetables, dairy, and total protein, and higher intake of added sugars.

Conclusions: In the US, there is no evidence of decreased calories from snacks over the past two decades. Notable shifts include an increase in snacking calories from nuts/seeds and whole fruit. Snackers also had higher HEI-2015 scores. Further shifts in snacking towards nutrient dense items could increase diet quality in the US. Suggesting that individuals avoid snacking may have a negative impact on diet quality.

Funding Sources: CDR and MS are employees of PepsiCo, Inc. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of PepsiCo, Inc.