Filed under: Snacks, Fruit, Trends, Light Food, North America, Health & Medical

While in Britain they may have a hard time giving up potato chips as a favorite snack, not everyone is eating so unhealthily. In Canada, a recent study determined that the number one snack is fresh fruit and noted that it was chosen over other snacks about 20% of the time. The next most popular snack foods, in order of popularity, were chocolate, yogurt and cookies, each of which were chosen roughly 7% of the time. Potato chips were consumed at just 6% of snacking opportunities.

The survey also noted that more than two-thirds of all healthy snacks were eaten during the day, with more indulgent treats - chocolate, potato chips, ice cream - appearing in the evenings.

Fruit has been the most popular snack for some time now, but there is a definite trend towards healthy eating, marked by the presence of yogurt in the number 3 spot this year. "In 2005, 21 per cent of individuals ate yogurt in an average week compared to 15 per cent of individuals surveyed in 2001." Increasingly, consumers are opting for the "guilt-free" snacks, and since their interest is increasing, so is the quality of the products from the manufacturer's side, continuing the trend