Snack prepping has become very popular among consumers because it saves time and helps with portion control. Consumers are able to eat healthier because portioned snacks make it easier to keep track of what is consumed daily. However, many consumers find themselves having to measure out their own snacks for the week.
As a rule of thumb, women are recommended to eat 2,000 calories daily and men are recommended to eat 2,500 calories daily. Consumers that are very calorie-conscious will make sure to eat specific portions from the five food groups. As a business owner, knowing what specific portion sizes your consumers need is important. This beneficial knowledge makes it easy for you to pre-pack any snack products with the right portions for your consumers.
Fruits
A popular food group eaten as a snack is the fruit food group. In fact, a few of the most popular fruits used for snack prepping are blueberries, banana slices, and strawberries. Why you ask? Well, fruits are nutritious and easy to pack when traveling. It is also important to keep in mind that different fruits are to be stored in different environments. For example, bananas are to be stored at room temperature and strawberries are to be stored in the fridge.
For both women and men, the recommended daily serving size of fruits is two cups. If a consumer were looking for this serving size at the grocery store, then they would be looking for 16 ounces of fruit. Therefore, daily snack packs of blueberries, banana slices, and strawberries should be about 16 ounces in volume to meet the demand.
We suggest using our non-woven bags for storing fruit because fruits tend to spoil quicker when in enclosed spaces. Our non-woven bags allow businesses to store around 1 cup of fruit. These are breathable bags that use food-grade material and are reliable for snack packaging.
Vegetables
Vegetables are another food group that is popular among consumers for snack prepping. Celery sticks, baby carrots, and cherry tomatoes make great snacks that are healthy and highly portable. Also, certain vegetables such as potatoes should be store at room temperature, while other vegetables such as broccoli should be stored in the fridge. However, the daily serving of vegetables is different for men and women.
Men are recommended to have three cups of vegetables daily while women are recommended to have two and a half cups of vegetables daily. Reflected in ounces, this would be about 24 ounces of baby carrots for men and 20 ounces of cherry tomatoes for women. Pre-portioned vegetable snack packs should, therefore, reflect these volumes if they are meant to target these demographics of customers.
Vegetables can also spoil faster when packaged and removed from the open air. Our Clear Polyethylene Stand Zipper Seal Bags with Die Cut Handles and Vent Holes are as good for vegetables as they are for fruit. These bags have vent holes, which allow for the stored contents to have sufficient airflow.
Grains
Another food group that should be consumed daily are grains, and some foods within this group can also be consumed in snack-sized portions. Perhaps the most popular grains for snack prepping are granola, crackers, and quinoa. Grains demand the largest daily serving size, and this is true for both women and men.
The daily grain serving size for women is about six ounces and the daily grain serving size for men is about eight ounces. Most granola products are sold in 10 to 12 ounces. However, for daily snack packs, selling granola in six or eight ounces would be more ideal.
We offer open top flat bags that are great for granola bar packaging. Granola is often sold in bar form as it is easy to eat and convenient to transport. For larger portions or granola, consider our windowed zipper seal stand up bags. These larger bags can hold multiple servings of grains.
Proteins
This food group includes multiple food types such as fish, meat, and eggs. However, this food group not only includes traditional meat products but also includes other protein sources such as seeds and nuts. Some of the most popular proteins for snack prepping are hard-boiled eggs, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds.
It is suggested that women eat five and a half ounces of proteins daily and that men eat six ounces of proteins daily. However, when it comes to nuts and seeds, it is recommended for both women and men to eat about a handful of mixed nuts and seeds a day. To be more precise, this would equate to about one ounce of nuts or seeds. Since this daily serving amount is so small, incorporating an ounce of mixed nuts and seeds into a trail mix or granola would make a more fulfilling snack pack for consumers.
Our stand up zipper bags is great for storing nuts and seeds. The zip on these bags ensure that the contents will stay fresh after opening.
Sources
“MyPlate Partner Title Become a MyPlate Partner!” ChooseMyPlate, https://www.choosemyplate.gov/.
NHS Choices, NHS, https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/what-should-my-daily-intake-of-calories-be/.