Dairy Defined:
Snacks the Way We Like Them
April 7, 2025
The Wall Street Journal article last week was ostensibly about Ozempic, and how weight-loss drugs are curbing consumer appetites. But it’s the stats about snacking that stood out.
According to data compiled by the Journal using Nielsen and BNP Paribas Exane estimates, U.S. snack food consumption is under pressure. Volume sales in 2024 for pretzels and crackers were flat; chocolates were down 5 percent; ready to eat popcorn, were down more than 7 percent. “Craveability,” a food-industry buzzword of the past few years, isn’t craved the way it used to be. Consumers – some of them using medications that limit appetites – just aren’t into gobbling up little pieces of sweet and salty things like they used to.
But some snack categories are still up. Way up. #1 on the Journal’s list? Greek yogurt, with volumes up 12.9 percent in 2024. Runner-up? Cottage cheese, increasing 11.8 percent. Nutrition shakes and meat snacks also rose.
The common thread? Protein. And the clear preference? Dairy.
Turns out that when appetites are curbed, but nutrient needs remain, a nutrient-dense, appetite-satisfying product meets the need. In 2025, highly processed is out; high protein is in. And dairy is meeting that demand.
Yet another reason to celebrate. So go ahead, indulge. Open that refrigerator, grab a yogurt or a cottage cheese. There are plenty of snack-sized options to choose from. It’s a healthy choice, and a worthwhile indulgence. And when you do that, you’re not just helping a dairy farmer. You’re a trend-setter, too.
