General Mills taps weight management trend with latest launches

New flavors of the popular Häagen-Dazs green tea almond stick bars, nutrient dense Fiber One layered chewy bars, naturally gluten-free Annie’s popcorn and the return of Yoplait Custard due to popular demand are all featured in the multiple product launch.

Nutritious, delicious yet calorie crunching and protein boosted are what consumers want.

In fact, revealed Packaged Facts, wholesome snacks are the fastest-growing segment, surpassing even the overall food and beverage market in 2016. 

Counting calories​

One of the biggest shifts in consumer eating habits is in the area of weight management, stated Jeanine Basset, VP of Global Consumer Insights at General Mills.

“Controlling weight used to be about counting calories, now it's about calories that count​. Today it's more about satiety, which is why you see increased interest in protein.​

“Snacking is now the primary occasion when people get most of their calories during the day,”​ she added.

 This is giving products, such as General Mills’ new Yoplain Dippers, the opportunity to be viewed as a snack, but stay within the healthy realm of a yogurt.

The $17.5bn global food manufacturer has also developed an indulgent snacking range of Nature Valley cereal bars, Super Hero Girls Fruit-Flavored Snacks and Häagen-Dazs ice cream featuring natural, organic ingredients, the use of flavors and colors from natural sources, and devoid of high fructose corn sugars, artificial sweeteners and preservatives.

The important launch includes a solid lineup of new products aligned with the consumer’s growing interest in boosting health, including a super-sized version of Nature’s Valley Sweet & Salty bar, and a yogurt that contains 14g of protein per serving.

“Snacking presents a tremendous growth opportunity for General Mills,”​ said Ken Powell, General Mills chairman and CEO.

“While preferences are changing faster than ever, what hasn't changed is the desire for food that tastes great, is convenient and affordable.”​

Simple and instantly recognisable​

Organic ingredients are the focus of attention, along with the free from items, like gluten, artificial colors and flavours, and preservatives.

According to General Mills, consumers also want more information about where the ingredients were grown

“Products like Liberté yogurt are providing transparency around the ingredients they use. For example, they aren’t just using vanilla beans, but vanilla beans from Indonesia,”​ commented Bassett.

Indulgence still a priority​

But, while interest lies in simple, wholesome snacks, consumers still want tasty treats.

“Oftentimes, consumers talk about eating healthy as a presentation of their best selves and their aspirations, but in reality, they simply want something that tastes good,” ​she added.

A General Mills spokesperson told BakeryAndSnacks that, while some of the launches are country-specific, the majority will rolled out worldwide.

Here is a sampling of the new products: