Are you willing to pay more for portion control?

When Nabisco (owned by Kraft Foods) launched the first 5 products in its 100-
Calorie Pack snacks line in 2004, many buyers at major grocery chains were skeptical. Would consumers be willing to pay more money for less product? The answer was a resounding, “Yes!”

2005 saw a huge expansion of this snack category growing to 44 products. 2006 shows potential to grow the category further, with companies like these getting in on the action.
· Frito Lay launched their 100-calorie Mini Bites versions of Doritos, Sun Chips and Cheetos.
· General Mills packaged their low fat, high fiber Pop Secret 100 Calorie Pop, then extended their line to include a Kettle Corn option.
· Cadbury Schweppes created its own 100-calorie candy bar, Cadbury Thins.
· Kraft is extending its 100-calorie pack line to include Jell-o.
· Coke launched an 8 oz. 100-calorie minican of its Coca-Cola Classic, Sprite and Cherry Coke soft drinks.

· Pepperidge Farms created its Goldfish 100-calorie Pouches.
So are these foods healthier than their full calorie counterparts? The 100-calorie-pack Oreo Crisps don’t have cream filling, so they’re a bit healthier, but in most cases the packages just contain a single serving, so they’re lower calorie than the multi-serving snacks most Americans dish themselves up. Rather than improving nutrition (by lowering fat or upping fiber or protein content), these snacks are really about portion control. As an added psychological bonus, this new packaging seems to be giving snacking a new sense of respectability, according to some experts. People feel less guilty enjoying these 100-calorie snacks in public, on the go, at their desk, or wherever they are.

What else could you choose for a 100-calorie snack budget?
· Half an apple with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter
· 10 cashews or almonds
· 1 cup of baby carrots with 2 tablespoons of fat free ranch
· 2 ounces of lean roast beef
· Half a small avocado
· 2 large graham cracker squares with 1 teaspoon peanut butter
· 6 ounces of fat free, sugar free yogurt
· 1 banana

But are we willing to do it? If it’s easier to grab an already portioned pack of crunchy, tasty (while not likely filling) snacks, which will we choose? If the answer is the 100-calorie prepackaged snack, how long will that trend last? Have you tried these 100-calorie snacks? What do you think of them?

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