What is healthy snacking?

Having first appeared in the United States around ten years ago with the emergence of soup bars, the healthy eating trend quickly went global in the fast-food and nomad catering segment.

Eat fast, but well: brands are constantly seeking to innovate in order to meet consumer expectations. Snacking departments now offer ready-to-eat portions of fruit and vegetables, yoghurts that are high in protein and low in fats, products with low salt and sugar contents, a range of delicious and healthy snacks (like Soyjoy bars, or soy flour-based bars straight from Japan)…

Chefs have understood that healthy snacking is going to be a feature of tomorrow's catering trends. Ferran Adrià was one of the first to follow this trend with the launch of his Fast Good concept (the first of which opened in Madrid, Spain, in 2004). This example was followed closely in France, in particular by Paul Bocuse, who opened several fast-food outlets in Lyon and its surrounding region (i.e. Ouest Express), the Ferniot brothers, who opened Boco, and the Bras brothers who represent the “fast-good” concept in Toulouse and Millau (France) with their outlet, Capucin. Like the Australian chef, Curtis Stone (www.curtisstone.com), the English chef Jamie Oliver shares recipes for tasty, balanced snacks on his website, jamieoliver.com: kale chips with salt and cinnamon, spicy flapjacks (oatmeal cereal bars found in the UK), low-fat hummus, beef empanadas, and much more… In short, the future looks bright for this trend, as witnessed by the success of the #healthy hashtag on Instagram.

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