Miniature food is a rising trend among fast food chains and snack-food companies.
With an all-time high in obesity rates, there has been a growing push to eat healthier. People are looking for the newest and latest weight-loss secret, and mega-chains like McDonalds have started to feel the hit.
According to a recent article by Adweek, Why Fast-Food and Snack-Food Brands Are Introducing Smaller Signature Offerings Less is now more for McDonald’s, Oreo and others, there is a growing strategy among these unhealthy giants to create snack-sized foods to hold on to their increasingly-healthy clientele.
“In the ’80s, it was just about calories. In the ’90s, it was about fat—only 30 percent of your calories should come from fat. After that, it was about low-carb or no-carb [diets],” said Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight at Mintel. “There’s been a switch in consumers’ attitudes about being healthy, away from restriction. It isn’t about good food versus bad food. It’s about having a small treat. It’s about balance. Companies are finding a way to provide the fun food they have in a smaller size.”
Now we have smaller canned soda, thinner cookies, smaller wraps and burgers, all so consumers can eat their favourite foods in a more “acceptable” size.
Consumers are missing the point.
There’s something to be said about portion control, but is a small cheeseburger better for you that a large one? Not really, it’s just less bad for you.
We all need to cut the bad food out of our diets. It’s that simple.
It’s sad that instead of providing healthier food, the way these major companies stay in business is by offering you less of the same junk food.
The good news is that people are finally realizing they need to cut back on sugar consumption.
Hopefully, it won’t be long before we see a real change in the food these companies offer.